Alone Together
by ObviousMan
Summary: Genis, Presea and Raine have embarked on their journey to stop half elf discrimination, but as a familiar nightmare and a series of unfortunate incidents shows, they must first come to terms with each other. Gesea. FINALLY UPDATED OMG DANCE.
1. Prologue: Chilly

Due to prompting by the muses, several friends, and the positive reviews I got from several people, I have decided to write a sequel to my first fic "He's Dead", this time from Presea's POV. Guess what? This one might have (gasp) CHAPTERS! You might wish to read the original for background info and suchlike.

Now for the reviewers. (Pulls out reading glasses)

(Ahem)

**Ilvinaeda: **Wow. Thanks for the glowing review. I'll take the quotes idea under consideration; you're right, some of the end quotes did bleed into one another all confusing-like. Sorry!

**Moon-Cannon:** Aw... thanks!

**Mystica-Moshi:** See above; yeah, Mithos went kinda nuts, I'm just trying to give a motive to him. Sorry if I sound less intelligent than last chapter, much of this was written late at night on a Sunday so I'm dead from the neck up.

**GamerNick:** Glad you approve. Here's your continuation.

**Green Magicite:** Ah, but that is where you are wrong my friend. _Mythology_ may have a tree of life named Yggdrasill, but the _game_ left the name for the tree open to interpretation. Translation: No one (legally) named it, so I (not legally) did. (hides from lawsuits)

**Aeros Fujita:** Thanks for the review. Good luck with your story. UPDATE SOON!

**Tropicalia:** Wow; now my story's an inspiration. Eek. That's just not right. I'm not good enough to be inspiration! Good luck on the RxA and Gesea tales though.

Now then...

LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (i.e. THE DISCLAIMER)

-¿OM: (cricket chirps) Hey, where'd everybody go?

-Colette: Oh. Everyone ran off, saying something about Zelos and a Viking. What's a Viking?

-¿OM: (Uh-oh, think fast, think _fast_... I got it!) Oh, you'll understand when you're older.

-Colette: Oh. OK!

(Viking lawyer-mob passes by window, still carrying a screaming Zelos)

-¿OM: –; Eh...so anyway, since everyone else left could you do the disclaimer?

-Colette: Sure! ¿ObviousMan? doesn't own ToS, Namco, CapitalOne, or anything else somebody owns that he mentions by accident. OK?

-¿OM: Works for me. Here's a cookie. (Tosses Colette a cookie)

-Colette: X3 ! (scrumffchewyumcrunchmmmsgoodarrrmgnawmunchgaryum)

-¿OM: o.o; (edges away)

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**PRESEA:**

_..."O-ok!" With that, the little half-elf collapsed into my arms, out cold in a dead faint. I tried in vain to hide a blush at seeing the dreamy expression on his face. Gently lowering him to the ground, I sighed and tried to recollect my thoughts._

It has been 3 months since that fateful day, when Lloyd rejoined the two worlds and revived the Giant Martel Tree. Genis was true to his word, starting his journey a week later with Raine and myself in tow. It has not been an easy task, but it is a rewarding one. Aside from the logical reason, that prejudice is unfair, there is another, more personal reason: with each half-elf law abolished, I can see a part of Genis grow stronger, which in turn makes me feel... good... inside.

We have covered many cities now. Luin was by far the easiest to convince; fresh memories of the help Raine and Genis gave quickly persuaded their legislature to edit the lawcodes. Heimdall, too, was an easy task; after the tower's collapse, half-elves had streamed to the city of their birth, hearing of its destruction and wishing to help rebuild. Families were reunited as banished children worked side by side with their elven parents. After daily exposure to the "hated" halflings, social walls had begun to crumble as the elves learned the truth of their halfling brethren. After a week-long debate with Raine and several citizens, the elven Elder was convinced to lift the social stigma from the half-elves and allow their re-entry as citizens.

This is not to say that all of our journey has been easy; several cities have blatantly refused to lift the oppressive legislature. I am... sad... to say that my hometown of Ozette is among that number. I still remember that day. The debate only lasted ten minutes. The mayor and several citizens, citing the recent Cruxis attack, remained steadfast in their belief that half-elves were dangerous. They wanted "nothing more to do with half-elves." The reminder of the Cruxis attack convinced the other citizens; Genis, Raine and I were quickly run out of town by a mob of enraged citizenry.

It was later that night, as we made camp on the outskirts of Gaoraccia Forest, that I realized something. I... I am alone. I have no one left. Daddy is dead; my mother died when Alicia was born. Even Alicia herself, the younger sister I thought would outlive me, is dead now. But all that was... okay... until now, because Ozette still accepted me. I still had a place in my town as the sacred woodcutter. I was accepted by the other townsfolk, even if they looked at me funny sometimes.

I was able to keep myself going by immersing myself in my job even before the crystal stole my soul; yet with that mind-numbing crystal, came absolute bliss. As my mind sank more and more into an autonomous state, I dwelt less and less upon those troubling ideas of abandonment, isolation, being alone. Even when Genis –_Lloyd,_ repaired my crystal's crest and lifted the crystal's "curse", I still had a goal I could immerse myself in, and... friends... I could relate with, so I did not feel alone.

But now, our group has disbanded. Our goal is complete; the worlds are saved. I no longer have a goal to immerse myself in. Worst of all, my town has disowned me as a... a... a _sympathizer_. I no longer have a home to return to, no support from anyone remaining whom I once knew. I... am alone again. No... that is not entirely true. I still have Genis. Genis, the one companion who always stuck with me. He never left my side, always encouraged me, always tried to protect me, in his own way. Even after I told him our age difference, how I was really 28, he still stuck with me. For that, I am grateful.

It was with these thoughts in my mind that I retired to bed that night, after our failure at Ozette. Raine was instantly asleep; I quickly followed, exhausted from the effort of escaping the mob. Genis, however, could not sleep as easily. I awoke some time later that night to the sound of heavy fabric rustling. Genis had left the tent, without even bothering to close the door; this was unlike the meticulous half-elf I knew. Concerned, I drew my blanket around my shoulders and followed him, to find him seated on a log gazing deep into the fire.

"...Genis? Why are you up?" I asked tentatively. No response. He merely continued staring into the flames, his back to the tent. Worried for my companion, I took a seat on the log next to him and looked down at his face. It was then I noticed his eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"Genis..." Throwing my usual cautions to the winds I gently wrapped my arms around the little half-elf and pulled him close, allowing him to cry on my shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"But... but... but _what if it is?_" he sobbed into my blanket/shawl. Troubled by this, I leaned him back up and held him by his shoulders as he dried his eyes and continued. "If I... if _we..._ hadnt've been near Ozette, they wouldn't have been attacked by Cruxis. None of that destruction would've happened, and the townsfolk wouldnt've been so against half-elves when we visited!"

"Genis, it's not the Cruxis incident that made the townsfolk refuse."

"...sniff...huh?"

"The anti half-elf sentiments in Ozette stem from an incident long ago, around the time of the Great War. The Cruxis bombing was just something for the people to use as a weapon. The truth is, humans are prone to discrimination as part of their competitive nature. They are always looking for something to use to put others down, so they look better in comparison. The Cruxis incident was only a shield for them to hide behind when you told them the truth. If the Cruxis incident had not happened, I am sure they would have found something else to use." I stated matter-of-factly.

"...but if that's true, then how do we end the discrimination in cities like Ozette?" he replied, confused.

"I'm not sure we can. All we can do is try, and hope that in every city like Ozette, there are a few people open to change who can slowly take their fellow townsmen farther after we're gone."

"..." Without realizing it, Genis had snuggled closer to my blanket for comfort as we talked. Now, with the conversation over and nothing left to distract him, he blushed scarlet at realizing where he was.

"... uhh, it'scoldI'mheadingtobedg'night" Genis mumbled at high speed as he bolted for the tent, still crimson-faced. I chuckled lightly at this, until a gust of wind sent a shiver radiating through my body. Pulling the blanket tighter, I too retired to bed, slipping down quietly into my sleeping bag so as not to wake Raine. I pretended not to notice Genis' mock-snoring from the sleeping bag next to me, and soon dropped off into a dreamless sleep.

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Sorry it took so long to start the tale. I had a few... difficulties... to work out. Anyone who reads this please review. The reviews I get are the motivation I need to keep going. But please, if you're gonna critique it please say what you hate and why, not just "I hate this it sucks go back to kindergarten!" or something equally childish. Flames are welcome as long as they have at least one constructive point. Note to all readers: If you say something in your review, odds are 95 that I will make note of it and repair it for the next chapter.

Long story short: Get RRing or no update for you!

—¿ObviousMan?


	2. Don't Leave Me

¿OM: Oh my. So many reviews. But I have been asked to keep responses short and chapters long, so I shall endeavor to do so.

**Ilvinaeda:** I wasn't angry! Thanks for another glowing review. I'll try to make this one longer.

**Moon-Cannon:**Here you go.

**KyasarinBurukkuTakara:** ...eep...updating, updating!

**Tropicalia:** No! Me not want be inspiration! Too much pressure! Pressure... crushing lungs... can't... breathe... x.x

**Ookami no Anubis:** Thanks for both reviews. Glad you approve. As for your drawing, you're about to get a much better idea in this chapter.

**Green Magicite:** We've had our discussion; suffice to say that the tree will not be an issue any longer. As for Katz City, I already have an idea for a replacement...

**LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (i.e. THE DISCLAIMER):**

I do not own Namco or its Tales of Symphonia production. All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Fic now! Today's fic will have a wee touch more fluffiness in it, just to warn you. (I gave you a warning, go easy on me.) It will also show some POV changes, unlike the other chapters I've written in the past.

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**PRESEA:**

_"... uhh, it'scoldI'mheadingtobedg'night" Genis mumbled at high speed as he bolted for the tent, still crimson-faced. I chuckled lightly at this, until a gust of wind sent a shiver radiating through my body. Pulling the blanket tighter, I too retired to bed, slipping down quietly into my sleeping bag so as not to wake Raine. I pretended not to notice Genis' mock-snoring from the sleeping bag next to me, and soon dropped off into a dreamless sleep..._

I awoke early next morning to sunlight streaming in through the open tentflap. I stepped outside, squinting as the sunlight seared my still-tired retinas. As my vision refocused, I saw Genis preparing a breakfast of toast over the campfire, a trick he had learned from Lloyd over our early journey. He either didn't notice me or was ignoring me, still slightly embarrassed over last night; the light pink shade of his face testified to the latter. I decided to leave him alone until he was good and ready to talk. I went back inside to dress properly, awakening Raine once finished. By the time I had done so, the toast was ready and we sat down to a silent breakfast. Once we had finished, Genis took the dishes while Raine read.

I decided to take this free time to sharpen my axe, a habit I found relaxing. As I fell into the pattern of passing the stone across the blade, I found myself sinking into deep contemplation...

**GENIS:**

It was after breakfast, as Raine was reading, when I mustered up the courage to talk to Presea again. Once the dishes were done, I found her sitting on a log, sharpening her axe with the stone I gave her back at Flanoir.

"Umm... h-hi Presea. ...Mind if I sit with you?" I asked, somewhat shakily.

She nodded her assent, and I quickly sat down as she returned to her sharpening. She appeared to be deep in thought, so I decided to wait till she was done before talking to her. So, I sat there, waiting and watching her rhythmic sharpening motions for what seemed (to me at least,) like hours. The hypnotic, back-and-forth motions finally started to get to me; before I realized it, my head drooped until it came to rest comfortably on Presea's shoulder. She didn't reject my presence either; instead, she subconsciously shifted herself until I was resting pressed up next to her, curled around her motionless left arm as the right one continued sharpening.

Unfortunately, I was barely aware of this; the mesmerizing sharpening motions had pulled me as deep in thought as Presea was. I found myself wondering exactly what it was about this strange girl I found so entrancing; she was pretty, yes, but not overly attractive. She had a beauty that was entirely her own. But that wasn't just it. I realized that it was probably the fact that she knew what kind of life I had lived; she sympathized with me, which instinctually drew me closer like a moth to a flame. She, too, had been somewhat prejudiced against, although granted it was to a lesser degree than my kind. As her fellow townsfolk grew older, she had stayed young; more than that, she had become oddly vacant, placid, obeisant. As a result, the villagers tended to shy away from the enigmatic young girl, only coming near when it pertained to the sacred woodcutting. Over time, this shyness evolved into bigotry, even rejection. She had suffered greatly at the hands of these _humans_; even if she didn't realize it at the time, she had to have realized it now.

Humans... no wonder Mithos worked so hard to destroy them. If it weren't for people like Lloyd... and, Presea... I probably would have joined Mithos. It was because of them that Raine and I were constantly on the move when we first hit Sylvarant, always chased as they found out the truth and their hatred won out. But then again, if it weren't for Lloyd and the other humans, I wouldn't even be here, sitting on a log in a unified, peaceful world next to my one and only Presea.

_Presea..._

_'I wonder, does she feel the same way about me? Does she know what she means to me? She's the only human left I can truly trust... It's true though. The others, though trustworthy, are now off on their own separate paths. Lloyd settled down with Colette in Iselia; I haven't heard from him in months. Zelos, well we just saw him 4 months ago! He was so wrapped up in his duties he barely had time to say hello; we did most of our conversing through notes and aides. I can't really place my trust in him. Sheena? We can't even find her! Her and that entire blasted village vanished off the face of Symphonia. Regal is always too busy running Lezareno, and Kratos is gone who-knows-where. I'm not even sure I would have trusted him _had_ he stayed. Thank the Tree for Presea; she's the only human left I can really trust, with my mind, my heart, and even my life...' _Subconsciously I snuggled closer to my Presea as I drifted off into sleep.

**PRESEA:**

As I finished my sharpening and came out of my reverie, the first thing I noticed was the loose body of Genis, face pressed into my shoulderstrap as he slept curled up against my arm. Blushing furiously, I searched my memory only to find that it was _me_ who had shifted him into this position. As I tried gently shifting myself, his limp form slid forward until his head landed squarely in my lap.

_'I am fairly certain that was _not_ my goal,' _I mentally admonished myself. Looking down, though, I couldn't help but notice his expression of absolute contentment as he rested against me. Absent-mindedly running my hand through the sleeping half-elf's hair I sank back into thought, this time about the one in my lap.

_'Current situation aside, Genis has always been rather mature for someone his age. Aside from his above-average intelligence, there is something else; behind his blushes and stutters lies a fierce, burning pride, and a passion for his quest of half-elf acceptance. It's as though he has the soul of an adult trapped in the body of a child... much like myself.'_ I thought bitterly. One glance at the sleeping bundle of half-elf in my lap quickly banished the thought. _'It's interesting, how just being near him when he's not blushing and uncomfortable is enough to make me relax.' _

_'It's a shame he's asleep; he looked like he wanted to talk before, and I think I'm ready to talk as well. I guess it can wait till he wakes up...'_ Back to playing with his hair, it wasn't long until I joined him in peaceful slumber.

**GENIS:**

You know those first, blissful moments when you just wake up, and the full impact of all the day's trials hasn't hit you yet? I woke up in one of those moments, still contentedly recalling being with Presea. Then I opened my eyes, looked up, and had the truth hit me like a ton of bricks.

_I... have been sleeping... in Presea's lap!_

Gods, if there's a deeper shade of red than scarlet, _I was it._ I swear I blushed purple as I realized where I was. Thank the Tree she was still asleep, or I think I'd have died. I tried to slooowly, gently, lift my head without waking her up, when I made another discovery.

_Her hand is tangled in my hair!_

Oh Gods. Forget blushing; I nearly passed out. After a few seconds of embarrassment, I realized two things. One: Presea had obviously put me in this position, the realization of which sparked a bout of warm fuzzies. Two: there was no way I was getting out of this one without waking her up. "...presea?..." I managed to squeak out at the volume of a dying mouse. Of course, she didn't hear me; she slept on, unaware of the round of love-struck torture she was putting me through. I tried once more to lift my head, hoping her hand would slide out; Presea, however, had other plans.

Presea mumbled in her sleep and pulled me closer, until she was snuggling me like a teddy bear for comfort. Images of a Genis plushie being squeezed in half streamed unbidden to my mind. Luckily for me (or unlucky as the case may be), her sleepshifting did the one thing I hadn't expected; part of the log's bark slipped off, and we went tumbling over the back of the log. As the gods of irony had deemed it, Presea landed on top of me, with our faces pressed together.

Her eyes fluttered open to meet with my wide blue ones. With a muffled squeak she practically jumped off of me, allowing me to get to a seated position. "...Genis? What just happened..." she managed to get out.

"I-I don't know... It was k-kind of a surprise to me too; I mean, I woke up with my head in your lap and your hand in my hair! You s-started snuggling me like an oversized plushie, we f-fell off the log, and t-that's when you woke up." I was able to stutter.

Presea's blush was easily a match for my own. "Y-you, you're not... hurt, are you?"

"N-no! No! I'm fine! Really!" I said, a little too quickly. "...are you okay?"

She quickly checked herself over, then replied in a slightly calmer voice, "I am unharmed. We should commence striking camp, if we wish to reach Meltokio in time."

"Oh! Right! Ok..."

**PRESEA:**

As Genis bolted off to wake Raine, I began disassembling the tent. He soon returned to help pack everything away, and we set off within the hour. As we walked, I noticed Genis straying behind us, still a light shade of pink. I slowed slightly, until I was walking next to the little half-elf.

"...Genis? Are you all right? You do not seem yourself as of late..."

"Me? I'm fine! Really! I was just... thinking..." He blushed slightly and turned away.

"About what?" I responded.

"About, well... earlier..." He trailed off, blushing deeper.

"I see. ...Genis, your predicament was entirely my fault. Although you did fall asleep on my shoulder, I accidentally slid you into my lap. I also have an old habit of sleeping with a stuffed animal for... comfort... during nightmares; I confess I was having one earlier, and probably used you as my... well... teddy bear..." I blushed slightly before continuing. "I apologize if I put you in an awkward position. That was not my intent."

"..._awkward_ isn't the right word for it." he chuckled lightly. I smiled in return, recalling our positions as I awoke. Truth be told, I was glad Genis was not angry at me for... using him... in that way. _'He _was_ rather comfortable, in more ways than one,'_ I thought, recalling the softness of his hair and how light he was. The thought brought with it a blush and a giggle.

Genis looked over, confused. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Do not worry about it."

**RAINE:**

We soon reached the gates of Meltokio. I looked back to find Genis and Presea, chatting amiably. I smiled at this, recalling how both of them had lived such isolated lives; it was good that Genis had a friend he could rely on, after the whole Mithos incident. Presea could certainly use a companion herself, after being alone for so much of her life. I was glad that I could trust Presea; the little axemaiden had always been true to her word, and showed a certain... fondness... for Genis that I found admirable. If it had been someone else, I might not have been so approving of their relationship, out of a sense of protectiveness; Presea was not only trustworthy, but certainly willing and able to protect him. Looking back again, I suddenly recalled their adorable little episode from earlier.

I remember looking up from my book earlier to find Genis asleep against Presea's shoulder; it was so cute I could barely contain myself. _'I'm glad Genis has a companion he likes, and so clearly likes him back. He deserves it after all he's been through.'_ Then later seeing the two of them fall off the log together, and their awkward positioning and reactions; I had to bury myself deep in my blanket to hide that I was shaking with silent mirth. I remember how hard it was to keep a straight face when Genis came over and asked for my help in taking down camp. Feigning ignorance, I rose and began packing the kitchen supplies...

I mentally shook myself out of my reverie. _'Now is not the time to reminisce. We have work to do.'_ Gathering Genis and Presea, we headed off towards Zelos' mansion, where we were greeted by his mysterious butler, Sebastian.

"Good evening, madam Raine. You are here to see Zelos about your half-elf campaign, yes?" He intoned gravely.

"Um, yes, if he's free we'd like to talk to him about gaining an audience with the king." I replied, slightly surprised that he knew our goal before we'd even said hello.

"Ah yes, master Zelos has been expecting you. He told me to pass along this note, since he will be busy for much of today." The butler produced a note out of thin air, and handed it to me. Genis, Presea and I made our way to the nearby park bench and opened the note.

_My dear Ultra-Cool Beauty, little Rosebud, ...and the brat:_

_As Sebastian probably told you, I'm gonna be busy for most of today. (So sorry my Ultra-Cool Beauty! 3) Anyway, since I got back from Derris-Kharlan I've been working with the king to get rid of all the horrible things the Pope's done. One of them, lucky for you, was the half-elf legislation. Since the topic came up, I talked with the king already, and we got rid of (under my leadership, of course,) the majority of the anti-half-elf laws in Meltokio and Sybak. Most of the people around here have even begun dropping their prejudices against the half-elves. It's still not perfect, but hey! It's a start. _

_Since your work is just about done here for you, I'd like to ask if you'd like to meet tomorrow morning around 8-ish for breakfast, and to discuss where you're going next. According to my sources in the ZHA _("The Zelos Hunny Association," Genis said with a snigger, earning him a sound cuffing), _you're probably headed for New Mizuho. And, according to said sources, you have no clue as to where it is. Lucky for you (So lucky today! 3) I've been keeping tabs on the village, in the hopes of getting to talk with my voluptuous Chief Hunny! I'd be glad to tell you where the village is, in exchange for a favor..._

_Yours truly,_

_Zelos Wilder, former Chosen of Mana_

I crumpled the note into my pocket, wondering what "a favor" was going to be. _'Knowing Zelos, it's probably a date or something equally horrible.' _I thought in disgust. _'Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.'_ We headed off to the nearby hotel, to book us a room for the night. Zelos had been true to his word; the staff were kind and respectful to us, despite most of us being half-elves, and gave us a quality room that had already been cleaned and pressed.

Compared to the service in most other towns we'd come across, our room was luxurious to the point of poshness. Genis quickly claimed a bed, and flopped himself down with an expression of bliss on his face. I had begun setting up our belongings for our stay when I was interrupted by Presea. "Um, Ms. Raine..."

There were only two beds.

Unfortunately, the staff told us that this was the biggest room available, and not many who stayed had parties of 3 or more without taking a second room. Since we could not afford a second room, we had to make do with what we had. After a short bout of debate with Genis, it was determined that Presea and I would each take a bed, with Genis taking a couch.

"But why do I get the couch?" Genis whined.

"Because if you don't, Presea will have to. Do you really want Presea to have to sleep on the couch?"

"I can take the couch, Genis. You may have my bed." Presea piped up.

"N-No! NO! I'll take the couch! You get the bed, Presea. I don't need a bed." Genis quickly responded, a light blush crossing his features. Presea merely shrugged and began setting up her bed.

After a light sandwich for dinner, we headed to bed.

**GENIS:**

Man was it cold. I shivered and pulled the thin blanket I had tighter around myself. _'Can't believe this damn hotel doesn't even have a fireplace!' _I thought darkly. I guess most people usually slept in the beds; that explained the 73 1⁄2 blankets on each one. I shivered again, my teeth chattering. It was so cold I wasn't even tired anymore. I bolted upright upon hearing a rustling sound; worried, I scanned the room for its source. My gaze fell upon Presea rolling restlessly in her bed, moaning softly. Concerned, I padded softly over to her bedside.

She was clearly having a nightmare. Her body was twisting and turning violently back and forth, and she was mumbling and moaning in her sleep. I couldn't bear to see her suffer like this; I shook her gently to wake her up.

"Presea! Wake up!" I told her in a hushed voice.

Her eyes fluttered open; she gasped and quickly looked back and forth over the room as if being hunted.

"It's okay, Presea. It was only a dream."

"Oh Genis..." She grabbed me in a desperate hug, squeezing me close. Not sure what else to do, I gently rubbed her back as she cried into my shoulder. "It was horrible! I almost lost you..." she sobbed.

"Shh... It's okay. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." I said soothingly.

She released me to dry her eyes, and managed to regain some of her usual controlled manner. "...I think I am alright now. Thank you, Genis."

"Don't worry about it. You should probably go back to sleep."

She looked slightly troubled at the idea of sleeping again, but laid back down and closed her eyes. I was stopped halfway to the couch by her imploring voice.

"Genis? Could you come here for a moment?" She called out softly.

I padded back over to her side. "What is it?"

"Umm... this is somewhat of a selfish request, but would you mind sharing the bed with me? I do not want to be alone again," she whispered, her voice tinged with fear. Honestly, her request was more embarrassing than selfish, but I couldn't stand the thought of my Presea suffering again. Hesitantly, I climbed in bed with her.

"Thank you, Genis. Good night." She gave me a soft hug, and almost immediately fell asleep again.

At least I wasn't cold anymore; Presea took care of that with her body heat. And the bed was certainly more comfortable than the couch. It was just the thought of _sleeping,_ with _Presea_, that kept me awake for a while longer. At last, exhaustion claimed me and I drifted off into dreamless slumber.

**PRESEA:**

As usual, my biological clock woke me up precisely at dawn. After the nightmare had passed, I had had a wonderfully peaceful sleep. I opened my eyes to find that my body had not been as calm, or as still, as my dreams; instead, I had wrapped myself around Genis in my sleep, whose arms were draped lightly about me. _'Oh not again!'_ I thought, blushing deeply. Carefully untangling myself from Genis, I came to the realization that, _'If Raine finds him here, there will be trouble. I do not want Genis in trouble for my own insecurities.'_ I gently lifted the half-elf and carried him over to the couch. He moaned softly when I let him go, causing another blush on my part. With Genis securely on the couch again, I headed into the bathroom for a quick shower before Raine woke up.

**RAINE:**

I awoke to the sounds of a shower running. Checking to see that Genis was okay, I searched the room for any sort of dangerous foreign objects. That done, I knocked on the bathroom door to confirm that it was indeed Presea in there. My nervous habits sated, I sat down on the couch next to Genis, gently rousing him from slumber.

He looked about disorientedly for a moment, as if expecting to be somewhere else; the moment passed, and he rose to his feet to help me pack. When Presea got out she helped Genis pack while I took a shower, the warm water lifting my various pathos's away. After a relaxing shower, I got out and allowed Genis (forced, really) to take a shower of his own. Once we were cleaned, dressed and packed, we checked out of the hotel and moved to Zelos' mansion for our meeting.

We were greeted at the door by Sebastian again, who quickly ushered us inside. After leaving our belongings at the door, we were shown to Zelos' expansive dining room, where it was only a short wait until the ex-Chosen arrived.

"Good morning, my Ultra-Cool Beauty! My little Rosebud!" He called out cheerily. "...Oh, hi brat." He added after a while. He quickly seated himself at the head of the table, close enough that he could talk to us all.

"So, was I right? You _are_ headed to New Mizuho, right? Huh? Huh?" Zelos asked, a chuckle in his voice.

"Yes, Zelos, we are headed for New Mizuho..." I responded with a sigh.

"Yes! Then my plan can work! All right, I'll make you a deal. If I tell you where New Mizuho is, will you..."

_'Here it comes...' _ I thought bitterly. _'Martel, go easy on me!'_

"...deliver this letter to Sheena?" Zelos finished, producing said letter with a flourish.

My jaw almost dropped, I was so shocked. I was expecting a kiss, a date, or something equally ridiculous from the perverted ex-Chosen as a favor; delivering a letter!

"...Sure, I suppose..." I took the letter, still eyeing the Chosen with distrust. "What's the catch?"

**ZELOS:**

_'If all goes well, Sheena will be my catch...'_ I thought mischievously. Out loud I replied, "Oh, no catch. I just need someone to deliver the letter for me, and since Sheena probably doesn't want anyone else knowing where the village is, you three are the only ones I can send. I'd go myself, but I've been kinda busy with my new job as advisor to the king. Anyway, the village is now located in the Linkite Tree Valley. I'll loan you some Rheiards, since you don't seem to have yours. ...After breakfast, that is!" On cue, my servants streamed in, carrying a breakfast fit for the King. _'If there's one thing I've learned, it's that food will smooth over any negotiations.'_ We began eating, Genis looking like he hadn't eaten in days. My little Rosebud ate in measured, controlled bites; Raine, eyeing the food distrustfully, barely touched her plate. _'You'd think I'd drugged the food or something! Such a waste... Ah well.'_ I began digging in myself, relishing the giant waffle adorned with various exotic fruits, a dish I had ordered by special request. _'Remind me to thank Serlucci; I never knew he could cook so well!'_ I thought with delight as I savored my first bite.

After breakfast, I escorted them to the hangar out back. "Ooh... oops. This is gonna be a difficulty. It looks like my newest Rheiard hasn't arrived yet!" There were only three Rheiards; an ornately decorated red one with light pink swirls, my own personal model; a deep royal blue one, a gift from the King; and a light orange one, the one I had learned to fly on. "I can loan you the blue and orange ones, but I'm afraid I'm gonna need the red one; I have a meeting in Sybak I need to attend, and the Rheiards are the fastest form of transport."

**RAINE:**

"I suppose we can make do with only two. Thank you for the loan. When do you want them back?" I asked.

"Oh, whenever. I don't really need those, just one for myself. Sebastian never leaves, and all my stuff comes in by EC, so those are just extras. Just bring them back when you're done with them." He left, back to whatever-it-was he did during the day. After some deliberation, it was decided that Genis and Presea, weighing the least, would take the blue Rheiard, while I would take the orange one. Genis looked positively delighted at spending more time with Presea; Presea, too, looked pleased at the company.

We set off immediately for the Triet Desert, where we were able to spot the Linkite Tree from the air. The tree had grown larger in the past few months; what once was a wispy, willowy thing was now a giant, pale green tree whose loose branches swept at the ground in the breeze. The purple Linkite nuts jangled like wind chimes as the Rheiards landed; of course, we were immediately beset by ninjas.

"Stand down!" A familiar voice called out. The group of ninjas parted to reveal Sheena, dressed in a light red robe, the robe of the Chieftain. The ninjas dispersed, leaving her to talk with us. We bowed, showing respect before our friend-turned-Chief.

"Oh stop that. You know how much I hate formalities." she snapped, clearly troubled at the idea of her friends bowing before her. "Well, come on in! You have to tell me about your journey. How is it going?" she inquired as she led us towards her house in the center of town.

After brief tales were exchanged, I remembered the letter in my pocket. "Oh, here. Zelos had us bring this letter to you, as price for telling us where the village is." I drew it out and handed it to her. She tore the letter open and quickly scanned the writing; upon reaching the bottom, her visage softened. She almost looked wistful as she mumbled, "...stupid Chosen..." Suddenly remembering she had guests, her gaze shot back up from the letter. "So what brings you to Mizuho, besides the Chosen's errand?" Sheena inquired as she pocketed the letter.

"We came to see if we could convince you to abolish your half-elf legislation." I replied.

Sheena looked embarrassed as she responded, "...well I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but Mizuho never _had_ any anti-half-elf legislation. Ever since the King dubbed us traitors, we've simply not allowed anyone in who wasn't here already. We aren't prejudiced against half-elves; in fact, my personal bodyguard is one. Aramil!" She called out.

A lithe, shadowy half-elf seemed to step right out of the wall behind me, making me jump three feet in the air. The half-elf, if it _was_ a half-elf, had pointed ears, midnight black skin and hair, and piercing blue eyes. "Yes, master Sheena?" he intoned in a sibilant voice.

"Nothing, Aramil. Please return to your post." Sheena commanded. The half-elf ducked his head once in respect, and sank back into the shadows. Within moments he was completely gone.

"...how on Symphonia does he do that?" Genis inquired in a shaky voice.

"We're not exactly sure. We think it's some form of magic he was born with. We've asked him, but his responses are usually too cryptic to know for sure. He's always been true to his word, though, so we asked him to be my bodyguard." Sheena responded.

"...So you really don't have any anti-half-elf legislation or prejudices," I said in a disbelieving voice. Sheena shook her head.

"We have all the lawcodes right here in these scrolls; check them if you want." she said, handing me a roll of seven golden-edged scrolls.

"No, I believe you. It's just that, out of all the villages we've covered so far, not a single one has been able to say what you just said."

"What?"

"That we aren't prejudiced against half-elves," I responded wistfully.

Sheena looked troubled at my statement. "I'm sorry that's the case. If it were me, I'd do something; sadly, Mizuho has very little influence in the outside world."

"It's not your fault. Don't trouble yourself over it." I responded, still thinking about the enormity of her statement. _' "We aren't prejudiced against half-elves." Is it really true? It seems that way...'_

Sheena startled me out of my thoughts with a hand on my shoulder. "It's probably been a long journey. Our guest rooms aren't as stately as Zelos', but they're yours if you want them." she said, gesturing out the window to a larger building, presumably the guest house.

"...Thanks, Sheena. If you don't mind, we'll take you up on that offer."

**PRESEA:**

On our way out, I saw Genis touch the back wall where Aramil had vanished; feeling only cold wood, he shook his head in amazement and followed us outside. We retired to the guest house, as it was already sunset. Luckily, this one had four beds; the last one was covered in our belongings, while each of us claimed a bed for ourselves. We were not destined to get much sleep, though...

A loud explosion followed by people shouting awakened me from my slumber. Quickly slipping into my usual outfit, I awoke Genis while Raine grabbed her staff. Moments later we were out the door. What we saw was horrifying.

A giant orange, four-legged reptilian creature with glowing red eyes was attacking a house with its thick, spiked tail. After a few swings, it grew tired of this and breathed on the wall; the entire building burst into flame, exploding with titanic force moments later. "Salamander. Fire elemental; weak to water and ice. Renowned for its pyrotechnic skills against wood and vegetative substances. Probability of our success in 3-on-1 combat: 38 percent." I intoned in a monotone voice, sinking back into old habits.

We saw a large group of ninja start an attack on the creature; shuriken, darts, and familiar-looking cards went cascading around the beast, most simply sticking to its tough skin. Only a few were able to break its thick, armor-like hide. The creature laughed, a hideous, rasping noise, and attacked with its long tail sending ninjas flying everywhere. A group with katanas were only mildly more successful, managing to leave a couple of long gashes before they, too, were knocked flying by its powerful tail swipes. The creature laughed again, and turned back to the burning building. It scooped up some of the ashes in its mouth, and began its slow march back to the woods.

Too late to attack the beast, we dashed to the battlefield to try and help those that were wounded. As Raine began casting her large-area healer spells, Genis and I stopped by Sheena to see if she was alright.

She was badly hurt, but Raine's Revitalize spells seemed to be working. Soon she was able to sit upright without our assistance. "...Where is it?" she asked in a breathless voice.

"It's gone." Genis replied. "It left the village and headed for the southern forest."

"We have to go after it—" Sheena started to get up, but a burst of pain forced her back to the ground. "There's no way out of this valley. If it isn't destroyed, it'll come back and cause more destruction."

"We'll go." Genis said, turning to me. I nodded my assent, and he turned back to Sheena. "With Raine to heal us, and my water magic, we can take care of it."

"Be careful. I'll never forgive myself if you get killed because of my weakness." Sheena wished us good luck, pain still evident in her ragged breathing and dilated pupils. Genis and I went over to Raine, and explained what we had to do. She did not look happy about it, but agreed that the creature could not be allowed to return with the people in this shape. Leaving the healing in the capable hands of the ninjitsu-medics, we set off towards the forest.

It was not hard to track the beast; its footprints left blasted, charred scars in the ground and underbrush. Every plant it touched became blackened, as if it had burned for days yet never set fire to anything else. Whole trees had exploded, with long splinters of wood embedded in the surrounding wildlife. We followed its path of destruction to a clearing with a giant pile of ashes and burnt logs in the center. Seated atop it, like a reptilian king on its throne, sat the Salamander. Its red eyes flicked brighter with delight as it jumped from its throne to land with a massive, earthshaking THUD right in front of us.

I took up the melee front, while Genis concentrated on peppering it with water attacks. "Drown! Spread!" he called out; a circle of mana energy surrounded the beast, and water shot from a nonexistent spout in the ground beneath it. It was thrown into the air, to land heavily on its side a few meters away. I dashed forward, taking advantage of its momentary weakness to score several hits down the creature's side. As it rose to its feet I backed off, realizing what Genis was going to do next.

"Ice Tornado!" The beast was pulled straight up, its body beaten savagely by large, sharp stones of ice as it was thrown about by the winds. As it landed, I saw the ground beneath the beast begin to glow a bright white.

"Holy Lance!" Raine called; giant swords of pure energy slashed through the beast's hide, scoring massive damage. I charged forward, readying my strength for my final swing.

"BEAST!" I called, swinging my axe. The blade cleaved its head from its long neck; the blast of energy sent it flying into a tree, where it ricocheted and hit Raine, knocking her over, presumably unconscious. Immediately I realized my mistake: I was far too close to the Salamander. Flailing about in its death throes, I saw its spiked tail come right at me. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the end...

...and was pushed aside as a gray-and-blue blur took the attack meant for me.

_'No. Oh GODS no.'_

"**GENIS!**"

His limp form went flying into a nearby tree, which bent slightly before throwing him roughly to the ground. I ran over to him, stopping and falling to my knees in front of him. With Raine out cold, I would have to administer first aid if he was to live. I unbuttoned the remaining buttons on his shirt, and beheld with revulsion the extent of the damage. His little body had been rent by half-a-dozen deep gashes from the beast's tail; I cracked open a gel and began desperately smearing it into the most serious wounds. "Genis, please, hang in there!" I begged, tears streaming down my face. "You can't leave me! Without you, I'm... all alone again..."

I was interrupted from my ministrations by a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Raine standing over me, a nasty bruise covering most of her arm. The sleeve had been singed off by the beast's scorching-hot hide. I nodded, my eyes still streaming, and rose to give her room. And so I stood there, useless, as I watched Raine struggle to save the life of the only person I had left. I realized bitterly that I had never felt so helpless in my entire life...

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BEWHAHAHAHAHA! EVIL CLIFFHANGER! _FEAR_ THE CLIFFHANGER! Since I made this chapter so god-forsaken long, (It took me 2 hours every night till now, and my _entire snow day_ on Friday, just to write this thing! I hope you're happy!) I figured I'd take my revenge on you by leaving you hanging in such a cruel way. Don't worry, this isn't for too long, just until next Friday at the latest. I'll update soon.

ß®££§¥: You're going to need a Muse of Life-Giving; the readers are going to flay you alive, you realize that? If you die, I go down too! You'd better update soon!

Okay, okay, relax. I'll definitely have it up by next Friday, possibly sooner based on how many reviews I get.

¿ObviousMan?


	3. Night Terrors

Due to the constant poking, prodding, and pain-giving I have received from my alter ego...

ß®££§¥: You may thank me later.

...I have updated somewhat earlier than my due date of Friday. Enjoy.

**Kat-Chan:** Yike! Iupdatedpleasedonthurtme! (in small voice) ...glad you like... eep...

**Green Maj:** Yay! Nonviolent review! I'm glad you liked the fluff. Yes, snow days are UNGODLY in their almighty power. FEAR THE SNOWDAY! (I'm writing the rest of this update on another snowday, and posting it on the snowday after! BEWHAHAHAHAHA! NJ OWNS winter snow.)

**MoonCannon:** Here be ye update. Glad you enjoy my fic.

**TimmyCheese:** (Interesting choice of name, but who am I to say anything?) Just out of curiosity, what stone are you referring to? And as for the Salamander, that's for me to know and you to find out.

ß®££§¥: Basically, he doesn't remember.

Sh-Shut up, you! Disclaimer duty!

**Ilvinaeda:** Thanks again for the massive review of eternal longness. Longest review I've ever seen, let alone gotten. We've had our chat by email, I'll just post the most important parts.

• Aside from the hotel scene, I didn't think they were taking it too fast. I mean, most of what happened was accidental (on their part, not mine). Even within the hotel scene, they're still acting as friends, albeit close ones. (Think Lloyd and Colette from The-AlFluffy-One-Whose-Name-I-Am-Unworthy-To-Speak's earliest works.)

• With regards to the hotel scene, you have to take into account the following circumstances:

1. Presea's still half-asleep: her judgment and typical cautions are dimmed at best.

2. She's terrified and still under the effect of adrenaline from the nightmare. (Never a good combo, especially with #1.)

3. (And I kick myself for forgetting to clearly state this, I'll fix it in this chapter) These nightmares are all about _losing Genis(...)_, the one person that she has left. Put yourself in her shoes for a moment: She's young. She's lost everything and everyone she ever knew. All she has left is a half-elven boy about her age, whom she finds herself developing feelings for. If she started having vivid, vicious nightmares about losing him, she might want him around for comfort, ya?

(I swore I said something to that effect after the second nightmare, but upon review I notice I was far too vague. My apologies. Thank you greatly for catching that.)

• I find it hard for people our age to really appreciate the honest, pure innocence of such an act. We think of sleeping with someone in such a different light, as actually "sleeping with" someone, something dirty, wrong for someone their age. They, on the other hand, have no intent of doing anything of the sort; Presea is feeling insecure and frightened, and thus, I do not think it too much of a stretch to think that she might want Genis around for comfort, especially to help her relax after a vicious nightmare about him.

• As for Genis, since his days back in the game he's been rather protective of Presea. To see her suffer and do nothing about it, or directly contribute to it, would have been rather like asking him to ram a knife through his chest and twist. He would do anything for Presea; this is not to say that he wouldn't feel awkward about it, as he did in his thoughts during the hotel scene.

• Sorry. I know you don't like it when I take so much space to answer a review. I just had to clear that up for anyone who was confused. I'll make it up later in chapter length.

**AngelSora:** I'm sorry you're discontinuing the fic. Setting its not-being-ToS-canon aside, it was a fairly good fic. Good luck on any future writing projects. I'm sorry if I was responsible in any way for scaring you off writing it.

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One further thing: If anyone wants this to develop into a lemonfic, please inform me now so I can commence HUNTING YOU DOWN AND SLAYING YOU. The fact that you would even _think_ of a lemon between two 12/13-year-olds is beyond perversion, degrading into mental illness. This is pure romance, between two young lovers. Go elsewhere for your disturbed pleasures. You sicken me beyond words.

**LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (ie THE DISCLAIMER):**

ß®££§¥: Just in case your common sense has failed you, it is to my extreme distaste that I must inform any of you with an education in law and the stupidity to use it that the one known as ¿ObviousMan? is in no way, shape, or form the owner, manager, possessor, or even shoe-shiner of Namco, its project Tales of Symphonia, or any other creations owned by another party, nor does he claim to be. All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are, out of necessity, not documented here in legal form.

¿OM: Partially because, if I did, there wouldn't be a a story, just a 10-pg long lawcode on how I don't own anything but the computer in front of me, this story + "He's Dead," Aramil from Chapter 2, the Salamander, and the title "The-AlFluffy-One-Whose-Name-I-Am-Unworthy-To-Speak". Said title applies to the great and powerful Lil-Samuu; I am unworthy to be spoken of in the same breath as the aforementioned.

Fic now.

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_And so I stood there, helpless, as Raine struggled to save the life of the one person I had left in this world. I realized bitterly that I had never felt so utterly helpless in my entire life..._

**RAINE:**

_'...Dammit! How could I have let this happen?'_ I berated myself as I kneeled before my little brother's devastated body. _'One second we're winning, hardly a scratch on us; next second, I'm pinned under a giant lizard's head, and Genis is lying half-dead!'_ Beside me, Presea stood there, blankly staring off into some spaceless void located between my brother's eyes. She looked like a puppet whose strings had been cut; after a few seconds of staring, mouth hanging ajar, she dropped backwards as limp as a rag doll. Unfortunately, I could not afford to take time from my ministrations to check on her. _'She'll be fine,'_ I thought. _'She's just stressed. Genis, however...'_ I turned back to my efforts, struggling to force the mana back into my brother's broken and bleeding form. No time to worry about Presea...

**PRESEA:**

_...Why is it, in nightmares, that we have no control over our bodies? We simply float there, passengers within our own minds, as our bodies move of their own accord. It is eerily similar to my Crystal experience; there, too, I was a spectator, a ghost looking out the windows of my eyes, watching the world pass me by and unable to do anything. Perhaps this is why the nightmares are so terrifying; they are echoes, shadows of the life I once led and am so anxious to leave behind me forever._

_It was the same dream again; for the past week I have had this nightmare over and over without fail. It begins with me walking down the street of an abandoned yet familiar town. The buildings are all as gray as the cloud-covered sky. Despite the drab coloring, everything was realistic. The buildings had individual planking; the ground, covered in lifelike peat moss. The trees in the background have individual leaves which would drop to the ground like slow-falling snow. If I did not already know the outcome of this dream, I might think the scenery beautiful._

_Deep down, I knew what would happen next; despite my best efforts, I could not stop myself. One step, two step— no amount of begging, pleading, or desperate struggling would stop my body from ignoring my commands to halt. I eventually consigned myself to my fate, as I had done in each dream thus far._

_As I neared the clearing before the abandoned armory, I saw Genis exit the building. Unlike my surroundings, he was in color; I wonder at the significance of that. Knowing what would happen next, I redoubled my efforts to wrest my body back under my control, to no avail. My efforts neared frantic as he approached. How I wished I could simply call out to him, to warn him; nothing I did would release my voice for even a moment. _

_"Here, Presea. This is for you." He reached into his pocket, groping around for something. What he was trying to give me, I will never know, for at that point a shadowy figure floated out from the building behind him. A knotted, twisted staff held a blade of black metal in the traditional form of a scythe. The sickly purple fluid dripping from the blade gleamed in the lamplight as the figure raised its weapon. The blade flashed once; the figure was gone. All that remained was Genis. Gaping and gasping for breath, his eyes bored into mine desperately as he tried to speak, to convey his last words before the darkness overtook him. But it was not to be. _

_His body toppled, severed cleanly in half at the waist. His torso landed atop of mine, pushing me to the ground. With the last of his strength his hand reached, quivering, for my own; his eyes were still pleading as the light left them forever. His upper body slid off mine to join his legs, laying face-up in a pool of his own blood. All that was left of the life I had held so dear was the warmth of his blood on my body and hands. _

_Overcome by the horror, I began to run, directionless, off into the void now surrounding me; yet no matter how far or fast I ran, if I looked back over my shoulder I could still see the remains of the last person I had had in this world._

_Varying voices, all familiar but none placeable, began circling me, taunting, guilting, laughing. Soon all the voices cascaded into one, a horrible, high-pitched androgynous laughter. The amalgam of voices coalesced into a single being before me; the black wraith was back. Laughing insanely, it raised its scythe again; the flash of the blade, the bite of cold steel, and the world dissolved into darkness. The last thing I heard was the horrible laughter, coupled with the last gasping breaths of Genis..._

I awoke, soaked in cold sweat as if emerging from an icy river. I lay on top of white, damp sheets in a room I had not seen before. A light blue blanket lay in a ball at my feet. Standing over me was Genis. Bandages covered most of his upper body making motion difficult, if not painful; this had not stopped him from clasping my hand with both of his own. He smiled, concern giving way to relief as I sat up in bed and turned to him.

I did the only thing I could: I grabbed him in a fierce, desperate hug as the tears began streaming down my face. Despite the burning red blush on his face he held on to me, whispering soft comforts into my ear as I sobbed pitifully into his shoulder.

"Genis... It's all my fault! If I wasn't so close to the creature, you'd... you'd..." my voice dissolved back into helpless crying.

"Shhh... It's alright. _I'm _alright. Raine says I'll live."

"But if Raine hadn't been there, you... you might not have..."

"Don't worry about that. I'm fine." He released me as I pulled back to dry my eyes. It was awhile before anyone spoke. Finally, the silence was broken as Raine opened the door.

"Well I'm glad you're feeling better now," Raine told Genis sarcastically. "You're well enough to walk around the building to visit Presea, but you couldn't be bothered to..." Her voice trailed off as she saw I was awake and being comforted by Genis. "Oh." She cautiously made her way over, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. "Are you alright now?"

"I... think so. Thank you." I replied, my voice still shaky.

"Okay." She responded, clearly not believing me but willing to humor me for the moment. "...So, are you ready to talk about it?" the healer asked me. Even in my current condition, it was blatantly obvious what she was referring to. Gripping Genis' hand for comfort, I took a deep breath to calm myself. Then I began the tale...

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Hey! I finished the chapter! Yay! Since I have all of today off, (SNOWDAY! HAH!) and I'm posting at 6 in the morning, there's a decent chance I might have the next chapter up by Sunday. If not, definitely by the following Saturday.

Sorry this one is kinda short. I'll make it up next chapter, if I can.

Good luck and goodbye, —¿ObviousMan?


	4. Can't Help but Worry

Wow. Chapter 4 already. Feels like I only started this thing yesterday. I guess it has something to do with the shortness of Chapter 3. Well, let's get to work.

One quick note: **THIS CHAPTER RATED PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE AND GORY IMAGERY. **I'm not having my story discontinued because some rules-sensitive prig decided he'd get his kicks by banning it.

Many thanks to the reviewers that stayed and the new ones that reviewed. I'll try to keep it together for you guys.

**Ookami no Anubis:** I'm glad you were able to get some fresh picture ideas together. As for what is she going to tell them...

**MoonCannon:** I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I'll try to update soon... hey wait! I'm updating now! Oops...

**Timmycheese:** (edges away from sharpening stone) DD;; I apologize for the shortness. That chapter came to me in a fit of artistic splendor, during Chem class on Monday. It is an explainer/filler/plot advancer chapter, all rolled into one convenient package. As for length, I'll try to make this one longer to compensate.

**Ilvinaeda:** Yay! Long review! Action scenes ye be wantin, eh? Hmm... We shall see...

**Tropicalia:** First bit of advice: You may want to end the fic at this point. If you end it now, you open it up to sequels. Not much I can say about the tale itself; all in all it's a good story.

**LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (ie THE DISCLAIMER):**

¿ObviousMan? does not own or control Namco, Tales of Symphonia, WotC, or the creators of anything else mentioned that is currently registered under a different creator. That which belongs to him has been listed in Chapter 3, and now includes the psion mentioned later in the chapter. All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are, out of necessity, not documented here in legal form.

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Blahgah : normal  
"Blahgah" : speech  
_Blahgah_:flashback  
_'Blahgah' _: thoughts  
_"Blahgah" _: voices in head

_"...So, are you ready to talk about it?" the healer asked me. Even in my current condition, it was blatantly obvious what she was referring to. Gripping Genis' hand for comfort, I took a deep breath to calm myself. Then I began the tale..._

**GENIS:**

"For the past week or so, I have been experiencing the same nightmare over and over, every night without fail." Presea began, sinking back into her old stoic demeanor. "It is a... disturbing... experience."

"How so?" I inquired. "It seems pretty bad, considering how you've been acting for the past week."

"It is not a pleasant dream. For one, they all end the same way." Here a shred of emotion trickled into her voice. "You... die. Horribly."

_'So that's what she meant, that night at the hotel!' _I realized. _'"I almost lost you..." She must have been referring to the dream.'_

There was a short silence, broken eventually by Raine's inquiry: "...How does he die? An attack? A natural disaster? Disease?"

"He is ...attacked."

"How? By what?"

"I... I-I would rather not say." Hot tears filled her eyes; I squeezed her hand in support, shooting a glare at Raine. _'How could she be so insensitive?'_

To her credit, Raine seemed to know when she had pressed too far. "I understand. Is there anything else you wish to tell us?"

"...No. The dream... is really not of much import. It is a dream, nothing more." Presea answered. She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than us.

"N-No, it's not!" I blurted out. "If it's enough to affect you like this, it's clearly important! I mean—"

"—Genis!" Raine's voice cracked like a whip, stunning me into silence. "Can I speak to you for a moment? _Outside?_"

Confused and irritated, I followed her outside the room. Once she had closed the door, I burst out: "But it _is _important! Look at her! That dream was enough to make her faint!" _'Among other things...'_ I thought, recalling the events of the past week.

Raine raised a hand to stop further outbursts. "Be that as it may, Presea apparently doesn't wish to discuss it with us. We can't force her; neither you nor I have the authority. Besides, to force it out of her now would do more harm than good."

"But..."

"No buts." Raine commanded. "We're going to have to wait, until Presea is ready to tell us of her own free will." Her expression softened a little as she continued. "I'm going back in, to finish her treatment. Nightmare or not, she did just faint; she needs the rest of her healing. Maybe when I'm done I can convince her to tell me something. If not, we wait." She turned and re-entered the room, closing the door behind her firmly as if to say, "No trying anything."

_Meanwhile..._

**PRESEA:**

As Genis and Raine left, a voice piped up in the back of my head. _"Why did you lie?"_

Answering the voice in my head would be a sure sign of insanity; I ignored it for now. The little voice grew persistent.

_"You would honestly hide things from him? He just risked his life to save you! You couldn't bring yourself to describe a _dream_?"_

_'...Telling Genis would only cause him undue stress. I will _not_ have him suffer for my own insecurities.'_

_"Bit late for that, huh?"_ An image flashed through my thoughts: Genis, lying prone on the ground, covered in gashes and blood. The scene from the Salamander attack. I shook my head to clear away the imagery. _'...Get out of my mind!'_

_"Alright... You're only hurting yourself by keeping this bottled up. I'll be back." _The voice went silent, just as Raine came back into the room. She picked up her staff from its position, leaning against the wall near the door.

"I just need to finish up some healing before I let you sleep. It'll only take a second." I nodded my assent. Raine walked over, raising her staff as she did so. The staff emitted a green glow, immersing me in its warmth.

"Hmm... no subdermal damage; no signs of a concussion from the fall; ...Tell me; do you feel like you forgot any memories recently? Have any sense of lost time?"

_"Lost time? You mean like the last 16 years?"_ The voice chimed in sardonically. I shook my head, as much in response to Raine as to clear out the mental freeloader. _'I said leave me alone!'_

"...ziness? Drowsiness?" When I looked up blankly Raine sighed and repeated, "Have you had any headaches? Dizziness? Drowsiness?"

"Um, just a little tired, I suppose..." I responded, slightly embarrassed that I had missed her question.

"That's to be expected." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "...You're sure there's nothing else you want to tell us about your dream?" I shook my head; she sighed lightly. "...Alright. Before I go, is there anything you want me to get for you? A glass of water maybe?"

"No. ...But could you ask Genis to come in? There's something I need to ask him."

"I suppose I could. But don't stay up too late talking; you need your sleep."

_'Sleep. As if I want to sleep.'_ But I didn't say anything as Raine opened the door to let Genis in. She looked at him for a moment, as if to say something in some sibling language only they understood. He sighed and shook his head, apparently getting the message. As Raine closed the door, Genis padded quickly over to my bedside.

"Genis. Thank you... for saving my life."

"D-Don't worry about it! It was nothing. Now what did you want to ask me?" He asked, concerned.

"I... I— It's nothing. Never mind."

"...Okay. If you're sure..." he replied, concern still evident in his voice.

"I am sure. Please, do not worry about me."

"...Alright. Good night, then." He turned and slowly padded from the room. The door closed, leaving me with a nagging sensation in the back of my mind.

"Thank you, Genis. I owe you so much..." I whispered into the darkened room. As I sank off to sleep, the voice could not resist a parting shot: _"You should have told him..."_

**GENIS:**

Early next morning we left Mizuho, after saying our goodbyes to Sheena and the ninjas. A few minutes after taking to the air, I looked back at the village to see a small black Rheiard lift off and head for Meltokio. Recognizing the purple-haired ninja riding it, I made a mental note to ask Raine what that letter from Zelos had said.

Turning my head slowly to watch the Rheiard go, my eyes soon locked with Presea's. Blushing lightly I turned forward again, embarrassed how close our faces had been. I was now acutely aware of everywhere our bodies touched: her arms around my waist, her knees pressed against the insides of my own. _'Less than a year ago, I was dreaming about being this close to Presea; now not only am I closer to her, she seems happy to be with me...'_ Presea's sharp cry of fear quickly drew my attention back to piloting the Rheiard. _"Fly _over_ the mountains, Genis, not into them,"_ a voice chastised as I pulled us out of our dive. _"I'm sure the mountain dwarves don't need a visitor, especially one that plows through their roof with a giant metal thing." _

"What's the matter, Genis?" Presea asked loudly over the roar of the engine. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine! I was just... distracted..." I mumbled. Gods, the embarrassment. _'She must think I'm an idiot. This thing isn't that hard to fly!'_

"You were what?" Presea leaned closer, probably so she could hear better; I only registered the fact that her entire front was now pressing against me as her head rested on my shoulder. The telltale burning sensation told me my blush had just gone from light pink to a full-fledged crimson.

"N-Nothing! I w-was j-just distracted!" I shouted to her, somehow still managing to stutter despite getting louder.

_"Smooth." _the voice rang out sarcastically.

"Oh, okay." Presea didn't remove her head. About a minute later her rhythmic breathing informed me she was dozing lightly on my shoulder. I spared a glance at her face, now peacefully content as her head snuggled itself into my shirt's shoulder-folds. I felt another blush coming on.

'_She looks exhausted.'_ I realized, noticing the bags under her eyes._ 'I'll bet she didn't sleep at all last night.' _

_"That nightmare of hers is definitely more than she's making it out to be."_

_'Yeah. At least she can rest when she's with me, for some reason. It's as if she feels safer having me near.' _

_"Maybe she—"_

_'—No.' _I cut the taunting voice off before it could continue. _'No more distractions.'_ I shook my head once to clear it; I immediately stopped once Presea shifted, moaning. She tightened her grip on my waist before falling still. I turned back to flying, increasingly distracted by the warmth of my Presea pressed up against me.

We continued heading northeast for a while, flying over the Ossa Trail before landing a mile south of Asgard, our next stop. After waking Presea (who promptly blushed at falling asleep while snuggling me again), I lit a cooking fire while Raine grabbed her book. Presea opted to chat with me as I made soup. We continued our chat once lunch was served, as Raine opted to eat on the other side of camp while reading her book.

_'Oh, how do I put this without arousing her suspicions? "You know, I don't really mind it when you fall asleep on me, since I'm the only thing that keeps your nightmare away"? "Feel free to take a nap whenever you want; the Genis comfort plushie is available 24/7"? Dammit... I wish Raine would just let me confront her about that dream. It'd make this a whole lot easier. I could just tell her then." _I thought nervously between mouthfuls of soup.

"...gard?" Presea was saying as she set her bowl aside.

"Huh? Wha?" I mumbled, before quickly swallowing the mouthful of noodles. Blushing slightly, I turned back to Presea.

"I was asking about Asgard, but it appears you were thinking. Forgive my intrusion."

"N-No! No! It's fine! Don't apologize; I should be apologizing for ignoring you like that." I quickly responded. "Asgard? It's alright if you're into ruins. Raine _loves_ it there. The entire town was built on the ruins of a city that existed back around the time of the Great Kharlan War. The records they kept illustrate several of the battles in the war, as well as the origins of the myths of Goddess Martel. Raine can't get enough of the city; every time she follows a path, she finds something new to study. Since we've been there so often, and Raine was so helpful to the people, I'm hoping it'll be an easy job to change their minds about half-elves."

"How was Raine helpful to these people?" Presea asked, cocking her head curiously to one side.

_'Gods, I love it when she does that...'_ I was surprised to find the thought cross my mind. Out loud I said, "Oh, that's right! You weren't there when Raine saved Asgard from the Wind Demon."

"Wind Demon?"

"Well, there was this Wind Elemental that had been sealed inside a giant stone altar at the top of the mountain Asgard is built on..." I told her the whole story; how the demon had tricked the Asgaards into thinking it was the Summon Spirit of Wind, how it had demanded sacrifices, how Raine volunteered to go in the sacrifice's place, how she had fought and defeated it ("...With our help, of course!"), and how the village had thanked her profusely. "...I think she still has a standing invitation at the hotel, not to mention a permanent pass to the ruins." I added.

Before I had the chance to continue, Raine directed us to strike camp so we could head for Asgard. "...See? She's already anxious to get at the ruins." I whispered to Presea. She chuckled a little, and together we began cleaning the cooking utensils.

.•°•.•°•.•°Several minutes later°•.•°•.•°•.

**PRESEA:**

As we were walking along the trail, Genis stuck close by my side. He looked like he was trying to say something, but couldn't work up the nerve to do so. Finally he managed a stuttered "...P-Presea..."

"Yes, Genis?"

"Um... I-If you ever need an-anything, like someone to t-talk to, or just s-someone to be with, anything at all, I-I'm here for you! Just ask me." He stammered rapidly.

_"Aww... how sweet."_ The annoying voice was back again. I ignored it for now.

"...Thank you, Genis. I will keep that in mind." I responded. Genis smiled, blushing slightly, and suddenly found something very interesting to study that seemed to be traveling right between his feet. I went back to my watch for enemies as we continued along the trail.

_'Possible danger. Alert the others.'_ I thought as I noticed a man walking down the path towards us. I nudged Genis, still enraptured with whatever-it-was by his feet, to warn him of the approaching man. Raine slowed to be nearby us as the man drew closer. As he stopped, so did we, giving me a chance to analyze him. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers, with a matching black shirt. A dark blue cape hung over his shoulders, trailing behind him in the wind. The only thing on him that was out of the ordinary was the large gold chain hanging about his neck; on it hung a large gem whose colors shifted randomly in a chaotic swirl. He seemed almost frail, with little or no musculature. He had no weapons of any sort, the closest thing being a piece of straw held between his teeth.

"Can we help you?" Raine asked, shifting her staff slightly.

"Well, you can start by giving me your valuables." The man said in an almost jovial manner.

"And why would we wish to do that?"

"Because it'd save me the trouble of taking them from your dead bodies."

Genis almost broke out laughing as he responded: "You and what army? You don't even have any weapons!"

"...And why would I need them?" The man said.

"Because I could just do this! Fireball!" Three orbs of fire launched themselves at the newcomer. Rather than dodge or block, the man simply raised his hand; the three fireballs changed course, orbiting around the man while he chuckled softly.

"Weapons are the tools of one's skill, little dude. As a Psion, my skill is mental; I have all the weapons I need right here," he responded, tapping his head as he did so. He gestured again; the fireballs rocketed back at Genis. The first two he was able to dodge, yet the third left him sprawled across the ground.

I charged the psion, axe flashing in the sunlight. "Ooh, physical fighter. Can't have that," he commented. He reached out his hand; I felt an overwhelming sense of intrusion, of violation, inside my own head. Suddenly I couldn't move. "Oh yeah, forgot to warn you. Mana energy isn't the only energy I can manipulate. I can work with mental energy too—"

A surge of magical water cut him short as Genis cast his Spread spell. The psion simply twisted the mana-enriched water around himself, streaming it at Raine like a water cannon. "Y'know little dude, you're really starting to tick me off." He sniped at Genis, who looked ready to rip his head off with his bare hands. A wicked smile crossed his face as an idea came to him: "Let's have your little girlfriend here get rid of you for me!"

To my horror, my body turned and began walking towards Genis, hefting my axe into a ready position. I struggled against his grip on my mind, to no avail. _'No... not again...'_

Genis, upon seeing the blank look in my eyes, began backing away slowly. "P-Presea? A-are you okay?"

_'Not again... this is just... just like...Why can't I stop myself?' _I thought, desperately straining against his hold over me; nothing I did could wrench me free for even a moment...

_...One step, two step— no amount of begging, pleading, or desperate struggling would stop my body..._

My body swung the axe; Genis was barely able to dodge it. "P-Presea, please!" he shouted, terrified. "You can't let him do this!"

_'I can't stop it! Save yourself! Genis, RUN!'_ I tried frantically to scream, to stop, to do anything. Helpless, I floated inside my mind as my body took it upon itself to destroy my last reason to live.

The axe swung again; this time Genis was too slow. His face contorted in pain as the axe grazed his side. Some of his blood sprayed from the speed of my slice, landing on me...

..._His body toppled, severed cleanly in half at the waist..._

_...the warmth of his blood on my body and hands..._

I couldn't stand this anymore; my consciousness began to slip from the sickening horror. The last thing my eyes saw was the blood... _'Genis' blood... on my hands...' _The blackness overtook me and I knew no more.

_Meanwhile..._

**GENIS:**

I stood there holding my kendama at the ready as what had once been my closest companion trudged towards me mindlessly. "P-Presea, please! You can't let him do this!" I shouted desperately. "Snap out of it!"

She swung her axe again, and this time I was unable to twist out of the way. The axe sliced into my side, just above my hip, in a long shallow cut. The force of the swing sent my blood spraying back at her; she stopped moving, staring at the fresh blood on her hands. She began trembling violently.

"Wait, what's going on? You can't resist my commands! I control your mind!" the psion suddenly yelled. He seemed surprised as he commanded: "Finish him!"

Her blank stare was replaced with one of mindless rage as she turned to face the psion. With a cry of primal fury she hurled herself at the psion, axe flashing like the Executioner himself. Not even bothering to name her technique she slammed her axe into his right shoulder, tearing it through his body before ripping it out through his left hip. He didn't even have time for a last scream as his lifeless corpse fell like so many pounds of raw meat.

The axe dropped from Presea's limp hands as she stood over his dead body. I rushed towards her just in time to catch her as she fell backwards into my arms. I lowered her to the ground and, grabbing a rag, began washing both my blood and the psion's off of her.

It was at about this time that Raine woke up. Shivering uncontrollably from the water the psion had redirected at her, she slowly stood up. "...W-Water... hate... water... cold... wet... water..." She shook herself lightly and made her way over to find me cradling a limp Presea in my arms. "...What happened to her?"

"I-I'm not sure.' I answered. "The psion did something to her mind and made her attack me. When she managed to hit me, she suddenly just stopped and stared at her bloody hands. The guy said something about her resisting his commands and she completely lost it. She screamed like some kind of animal, charged him and slashed him in half. Then she just lost consciousness."

**RAINE:**

_'I wonder if she was even conscious then...'_ "Tell me, Genis, when she managed to break free of his control, did her eyes still have a blank stare or were they back to normal?"

"I wouldn't call them normal! They looked like the eyes of someone who died angry— blank and enraged all at once." He replied, holding Presea even closer.

"Hmm... then that means she wasn't even conscious when she broke free."

"What? Then how'd she manage to chop him in half?" He asked, gesturing at the remains of the psion.

"She had a mental blackout — her mind passed out but her body continued running on adrenaline and instinct. Once she killed the psion, the threat ended. Her instincts had no further instructions so she fainted. When she wakes up she shouldn't remember killing the psion." I explained.

_'Presea... why won't you let us help you? There's only so much we can do by ourselves! You have to _let_ us help you! Just tell us what's going on so we can help!'_ I glanced over at Genis; he looked pained as he gazed mournfully into Presea's closed eyes. _'Do it for Genis' sake, if not your own. You're killing him like this...' _I thought. Remembering the body of the psion, I walked over and glanced down at it. The only thing left intact and uncoated by blood was the strange pendant around his neck. I slid it off his ruined corpse, noticing the blood simply slip off its golden chain. Mystified and attracted by its swirls of shifting colors, I pocketed the pendant for later study, returning to Genis' side.

**GENIS:**

_'...How _dare_ that bastard do this to Presea?'_ I thought, furious. _'It's his fault she's like this!'_ I turned to Raine. "Did you get everything you wanted off him?" I asked, anger still smoldering in my voice as I gestured at the psion.

"...Yes... but why—"

She jumped back as a meteor of white-hot flame slammed into his body, incinerating him instantly. Not even ashes were left for the evening breeze to carry away. She stood stock-still for a moment, one hand over her heart as she tried to catch her breath; with her breath returned her temper. She slapped me once over the head.

"You almost hit me! Don't be so rash! I don't care if you're still angry at him; there's no need to take it out on his body, and _certainly_ not on me," she snapped. Looking around, she realized that it was evening and the sun was setting. "...We'd best make camp for the night. We won't reach Asgard before sunset, and I'm not traveling at night. Genis, if you'll light a fire and get dinner started, I'll set up the tent." I quickly lit a fire using the available wood, and was halfway done with the meal when Raine came over and sat on the log next to Presea and me.

"What are you making?" Raine asked tentatively.

"Spaghetti. Presea always liked it; I figured it'd be something nice for her to wake up to."

"I see."

"..."

As the pasta came to a boil, I noticed that Presea still wasn't awake. "Should I wake her up?"

"...No. Let her sleep. Today was pretty traumatic for her for some reason; let her body repair itself. She'll wake up when she's ready."

"...Alright." I served out two servings of pasta, putting a third aside for Presea when she awoke. Raine and I ate in silence.

After dinner, cleanup, and an hour of gazing at the stars, Presea still wasn't awake. Raine and I retired to bed, I myself tucking Presea into her bag before falling asleep next to her. _'I hope she's alright...'_

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

Well, the end of another chapter. I must warn you that the next update will be long in coming. The next two weeks of school are going to be hell for me, since Easter break starts in two weeks. My last day of HellMonth is March 18; the next chapter will be uploaded shortly thereafter. Sorry for the wait.

R&R or baaaad things may happen...

¿ObviousMan?


	5. Alone Again

Sorry I took so long to update folks. The past 2 weeks were brutal, but it's over and I can write once more. Here's the next chapter.

**MoonCannon:** Person? I think you're referring to the psion, who was a randomly generated baddie that so happened to fit with my plans. If you mean the Rheiard with the purple-haired ninja, then read the context clues. Hint: How many purple-haired ninjas do we know?

**TheWhiteMonk:** Glad you approve. Many thanks to WotC for the idea. And don't worry, I wouldn't stop writing for all the tea in China.

**Ilvinaeda:** Thanks again for the long review. I'll try and make this one as good as the last, but no guarantees!

**Ookami no Anubis:** Yeah, so many picture ideas. (Wish I could draw...) As for midterms, we had them at the end of January, so only 2 weeks of HellMonth stood between me and 16 days of freedom. BEWHAHAHAHAHA!

**Green Maj:** Don't worry about it; I'm just glad you came back and reviewed again. Good luck on the science test.

**Tropicalia:** Ow! (rubs head) ...at least I warned you... Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. If you need any more advice or have any more questions, don't hesitate to send them along; I'd be glad to help in any way I can.

**TimmyCheese:** Ok, no more stone of evilnessness. On a side note, you can't tell me you've never heard of billiards (pool) before! 'Cause that's what Sheena and Zelos were playing in the other story.

**KyasarinBurukkuTakara:** (Nice name, if a little hard to retype...) Rrrg... I knew there was something I forgot. Well, do me a favor and pretend that Raine fixed him up during the hour of gazing at the stars. Sorry I left that one blank; don't like leaving loose ends. Oopsies...

**LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (ie THE DISCLAIMER)**

Despite two weeks of backbreaking labor, ¿ObviousMan? still does not own, control, or manage Namco, Tales of Symphonia, its shareholders, or its future creations. All registered trademarks and copyrights belong to the parties they are registered under. That which is owned by this author has been mentioned in earlier chapters, now includes his meaningless humorfics, and may not be used without express permission of the creator.

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

_After dinner, cleanup, and an hour of gazing at the stars, Presea still wasn't awake. Raine and I retired to bed, I myself tucking Presea into her bag before falling asleep next to it. 'I hope she's alright...'_

**PRESEA:**

_...laughing maniacally, the wraith swung his scythe. Cold steel met warm flesh; the bite of the blade, the splash of my blood, and—_

"—Aagh!" I shot upright, covered in cold sweat. For the next few moments I sat bolt upright, panting, trying to regain my breath as the last of the demon's insane laughter echoed in my ears.

Shivering, I pulled a little more sleeping bag over me and quickly scanned the tent. I easily recognized Raine's sleeping form; Genis was nowhere to be found. That simple thought, _'Where's Genis?'_, exploded into a new world of meaning as I slammed headfirst into the brick wall that was yesterday's memories...

_..."let's have your little girlfriend get rid of you for me!"..._

_..."P-Presea, please!" he shouted, terrified..._

_...I swung the axe again; this time Genis was too slow..._

_...Genis' blood..._

_...on my hands..._

_'...no...I... I killed Genis..?'_ I thought in horror. _'...the last person I had left... gone? ...by my own hands..?'_

_'No! That does not make sense. I would not do that. Not to Genis...'_

_"...Really now?" _That damned voice spoke up sardonically. _"You didn't kill Genis... then what were you just remembering?" _

_'I... I must be misremembering things. Perhaps the psion did something to my mind, and now I am generating false memories.'_

_"False memories, huh? ...then what's that on your hands?"_ it taunted. Looking down, I gasped as I saw the stain of old blood on my hands. It was faded, as if someone had tried in vain to clean it away; despite their efforts, the stain remained as evidence to what I had done. As I gazed in sick horror at the blood on my hands, a memory floated to the surface of my jumbled mind...

_...I swung my axe again; this time Genis was too slow. His face contorted in pain as the axe sliced into his side. His blood sprayed everywhere, some landing on my hands..._

_"See? You _did_ kill Genis!"_

_'...no... I...'_ I thought, refusing to believe that I had destroyed my last close companion.

_"Admit it. Not only did you kill Genis, you killed him in cold blood. ...or do you not remember his last words?"_

"no" I whispered as I tried desperately to forget the memory that I was sure would haunt me for the rest of my life. All too soon it shot to the front of my mind, horribly vivid thanks to the adrenaline in my system...

..._I swung the axe, blade glinting bloodred in the setting sun. Genis was only barely able to twist out of the way of the hurtling axehead. "P-Presea, please!" he begged, eyes wide with pure terror as I swung again. "Y-You can't—"_

_"—You would call _that_ an accident!" _the voice cut in, interrupting the memory midway._ "He _begged_ you to stop. Didn't you see how scared he was?"_

_'...but I... but _he

_"He was _terrified_," _the voice pressed_. "He was scared to _tears_, yet you ignored his pleas and killed him anyway. How could you?"_

_'...I... I-It wasn't my fault! T-the psion! He—'_

_"—Oh, so now you're going to tell me you couldnt've stopped a simple mind-control attempt?"_ the voice retorted in disgust. _"You've resisted worse attacks than that one; why didn't you just break free, like you have in the past?"_

_'...I...'_

_"I don't think you really _wanted _to! You _wanted_ Genis dead, didn't you?"_

_'No! That's not true! I was—'_

_"You wanted_ _him _dead_, even after all he did for you! Even after he _begged_ you to stop! You _monster_!" _the voice spat as it faded away.

As the voice dissipated, the room slowly dissolved into swirls of blackness; out from the void stepped a short figure. His gray, ruffled hair was matted with the red of his own blood. His big blue eyes, once bright with youthful innocence, were now glazed over in death— for a massive, jagged tear had cut his body nearly in half at the waist. Somehow the figure managed to remain standing as it moved forward. His once-soft dead lips parted, and out from the depths rasped a single, mournful word that wrenched at my soul...

"..._why.._?"

Suddenly the figure was gone, and I was overwhelmed by a cacophony of voices.

"Presea..? I trusted you! How could you do this to me?"

"You killed me... even after I saved you from the Salamander? _Why_?"

"I don't understand... h-how could you..?"

"You— you betrayed me! You traitor!"

"I begged you! I pleaded! You killed me anyway!"

"Murderer!"

"_Murderer_!"

The voices began circling me, accusing me, chanting, "Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" Meanwhile the darkness started rippling and churning as it all flowed to a point in front of me. A figure appeared, clad in robes of the rippling blackness. The wraith of Death pulled a black-and-purple scythe from the swirling vortex behind him. Eyes burning with the flames of Hades, he turned back to me; laughing insanely he swung his scythe, ripping a jagged hole in space itself before vanishing from sight. Out from the tear tumbled Genis' body, landing spread-eagled facedown on the floor. He lifted himself, struggling, to look at me; with eyes full of confusion and fear he reached out towards me shakily. Before he could come even close, the life left his body and it crumpled to the ground...

I awoke again, dripping in cold sweat. As I sat there I hoped that, perhaps, maybe this had just been some elaborate nightmare. Maybe I hadn't done the unthinkable and, by my own weakness, killed my last friend and comrade. One quick glance at my hand confirmed the truth for me; the stain of his dried blood still remained, lessened by my sweat and tears but still there, still a cold reminder of the life I had taken. This time there was no voice in my head, no phantasms of Genis, no wraith of darkness come to take my life and his; only myself, and the memories of the one I had murdered. I think this silence was worse.

_'I really _did_ do it... I killed Genis... It was not just a dream. He is truly gone. Genis... is gone for good.'_ I realized. Overcome by guilt, emotion, and a growing feeling of emptiness, I sat there in my sleeping bag, quietly sobbing as the truth sank in. _'I've lost him. No... I didn't lose him. I took him, from myself. And now I'll never see him again. Only in dreams and the ghosts of my haunted mind. And it's entirely my fault. I killed him. By my own weakness... I killed him.' _

I felt so vile, so disgusting. I had been given another chance at companionship after my family had gone. I had been given a Genis-sized gift, and what did I do? Toss him aside, like some old, ratty rag doll. Kill him, coldly, unflinchingly, heartlessly. Ignore his pleas, ignore the pure terror in his eyes, and let him be cut him down like some bush in my way. After everything good he had done for me. All the blatant affection he had shown me. And I killed him. I. Killed. Him.

_'...I don't deserve this life.'_ I decided._ 'That damnable voice was right: I _am_ a monster. I don't deserve this, this existence, this life I stole from him.' _As I looked up, I noticed through tear-filled eyes that someone had placed my axe on the ground nearby, far enough that I couldn't have rolled onto it while sleeping but still within my reach. With shaking hands I reached for the axe; my cowardice, my goddess-damned weakness, stopped me before I could grasp the wooden handle. _'I can't do it... I'm not strong enough...'_

_'What a pitiful excuse for a person I am. Genis was raised hating humans. He was chased by us, hated by us. Yet somehow he found it in him to forget this and befriend us. To help us. To kill his best friend, all for us. And how does this human repay his selfless actions? In a fit of weakness I give him back his reason to hate humans. I betray him. I... kill him.' _I broke down in tears again, disgusted and sick with myself.

As I cried another realization came to me, one that I had not considered. Genis... my last companion... was gone. I was alone again. But this time, it was different.

_'Now, I am truly alone. I won't get another chance. Once Raine finds out I killed her brother, she will hate me; I cannot stay here with her. I cannot go home, since Ozette thinks I am a... a _traitor_, for allying with the half-elves. All my old friends, my teammates, they will all reject me once they find out what I did to Genis. Worse, everyone else will shun me, as a... a m-murderer.'_ I thought bitterly._ 'There will never be another by my side...' _

_'I-I am alone... forever...' _

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

Dramatic isn't it. Now before anyone comes and yell-reviews at me saying "OMG you killed Genis" or "Wait, Genis isn't dead! What's going on?", I want you to stop and think. Yes, _we_ know the truth; the real question is, does Presea? (...no)

Again, I apologize for the 2 week+ wait. The next chapter should be up by Saturday.

R I shall speak again soon.

¿ObviousMan?


	6. My Weakness, My Fault

**LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES OF RATING:**

THIS STORY HAS BEEN RATED **T+** FOR **MATURE** TEENS (meaning those above the MENTAL age of 13, disregarding physical age) IN KEEPING WITH NEW RATING POLICY. IT HAS BEEN RATED THIS WAY FOR SCENES OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, DEPRESSION, AND REFERENCES TO SUICIDE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE READING ANY OF THESE:

1) YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE READ THIS FAR,

B) YOU SHOULD NOT CONTINUE READING, FOR THERE WILL BE MORE OF THE SAME,

III) THAT'S WHY THERE'S A DISCLAIMER. DON'T BOTHER TO REPORT ME, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG AND YOU'LL JUST LOOK LIKE A FOOL FOR DOING SO.

Some quick review responses and then on to fic.

**Green Maj:** I would love to say it is going well, but the gnomes have had their way with my PS1 and it no longer works; I'm waiting until I can replace it. As for the fic: yes. That was exactly what I was going for. Thank you.

**MoonCannon:** Here's your next chapter. I'm glad you aren't ticked I took 2 weeks before. You should have heard my muses; the way they went on about it you'd think there was a mob outside my door.

**Rigetta:** Yay new reviewer! Well, here's to hoping it doesn't take me two weeks to post this chapter.

**Ookami no Anubis:** I know, I know, I'm sorry. Too many picture ideas. But school is almost over!

**Guardian Weilder:** Don't worry, Genis will get his day. And I hope this didn't take me two weeks to post, although writing at this point I don't know.

**TimmyCheese:** THANK YOU. Finally. That's what I was going for. Yes, it was repetitive; that was intentional. You have to remember, Presea is reeling. Not only is her best friend and last companion dead, but she thinks _she_ killed him. She's in shock. ...and I had to portray that through my writing. When you get hit hard with something you don't want to believe but "know" is true, your mind keeps mulling it over, endlessly repeating it, questioning, denying, and deliberating until it finally sinks in. That's what I was going for here.

**KyasarinBurukkuTakara:** Thanks for the vote of confidence; she will learn the truth sooner than you think.

**Ilvinaeda:** Y'know, these long and glowing reviews make me feel all fuzzy inside. Thanks. You're right; if they just instantly fell in love and lived happily ever after, there wouldn't be a story. Only the last sentence.

**ChaosGriffin:** Because if I didn't, then there would be no story. Don't worry, if you don't like how mean I'm being to Presea, the ending of the fic should cheer you up. (2 or 3 chapters till then.)

**Spectrè:** Trade secret. I can't tell you, because then I'd have to kill you, and that would be unpleasant.

**Sangolover:** Really? I thought it was purple. Blame my ancient, decrepit TV then. And as for the Tree, you'll have to talk to Green Maj. Both you and I were wrong on that count; supposedly the Tree is called Yggdrasill in the sequel. (I thought Martel would have made more sense, but meh.)

**LJ3:** Sorry! My parents have been evil to me with roadtrips and driver's-ed classes, chewing up all of Friday and the weekend, when I do most of my writing. The next few weeks should be

**Tropicalia:** ...I'm glad you're happy. I'll try to make this one as good as the last.

**Kat-chan:** Yesyesyesyesyes, I know, I'm falling behind. I just had trouble getting the plot moving after so many weeks of stagnation. But the next few updates should come faster and faster until I'm back to one a week again. Sorry!

**RAPID-FIRE LEGAL FORMALITIES OF LAMENESS: (ie DISCLAIMER)**

I don't own anything I've already said I don't own. The list of what I do has been covered thus far, includes my (apparently creative) A/N borders, and cannot be used without my express permission. (Yes Spectrè, you can use my borders if you want.) Copyrights and trademarks still belong to those they are registered under.

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

_'All my old friends, my teammates, they will all reject me once they find out what I did to Genis. Worse, everyone else will shun me, as a... a m-murderer.'_ _I thought bitterly between sobs. 'There will never be another by my side... I-I am alone... forever...' _

_"If everyone is gone... then why don't you join them?" _the voice piped up as my vision fell on the axe at my side. The voice pressed onward, sensing something about me it found encouraging.

_"It would be _so_ easy, wouldn't it? Just pick it up, and let it fall... and all your troubles would be over. No more pain. No more suffering. And you'd be back with all your companions. Daddy, Alicia... Genis..." _

"...but..."

_"You _want_ to continue life alone? All by yourself? Well you have been alone all your life, yes... everyone else has passed you by. ...but you want to go _back_ to that? When the alternative is so much easier?"_

"...the pain..."

_"Which is worse? The brief pain and then eternal bliss with your family... with Genis? Or the long, dull ache of being alone again... after having companions, and losing them forever... which would you prefer?"_

"...but... I..."

_"...coward,"_ the voice spat. _"Weak. You're afraid of a little pain. You'd rather just coast by, an empty shell, rather than expend a little effort, feel a little extra pain, and be reunited with Genis again. You're disgusting. It was that weakness, that _cowardice_ that got Genis killed in the first place! Yet you would still be slave to it?"_

...Whatever it was, the voice was right. All my weakness had ever brought was added suffering. My weakness, my inability to lift even the lightest axe, had gotten Daddy sick by forcing him to work though he was far too old... it had kept me from being able to protect Alicia, when she was taken from me to work for the Bryants... and now Genis... No. I would not let my weakness get in my way again.

I reached for my axe once more, shamed by the tremble that still shook my arms. Tensing my arm, I lifted the axe, gazing into my own reflection in the glittering axehead. Another wave of cowardice struck me; just as I almost gave in, almost put the axe down, the voice struck back with a knockout blow. _"Giving in again? Maybe you are too weak. Maybe you don't deserve to have your family back."_

Determined to prove the voice wrong, I lifted the blade once more. Tensing my arm muscles again, I closed my eyes; bracing myself for the end, I unclenched my arm...

...and felt my arm tense again in surprise as something large and soft brushed against my foot. The axe barely missed my head, instead embedding itself in the ground after grazing the material of my sleeve.

"...mrggh... presea? yer 'wake?" a quiet voice grumbled at my feet. As I looked up in surprise and confusion, a small, blue-clad body lifted itself from the ground and turned its big eyes to me. Time slowed to a standstill as I recognized the being in front of me. _'no...but... it can't be... I...'_

"...no... I... w-what..?" I whispered, the tears still streaming from my eyes. "...y-your blood... I... I _killed_ you... you're _dead_..."

_'It must be a dream, a... another hallucination.' _I realized. _'Genis is dead. This... thing... cannot be real. It's just another ghost. I-It... _has_ to be.'_

"...why must you haunt me again..?"

_'...Goddess, why do you torture me..? Do you _enjoy_ watching me squirm, seeing me hurt as you bring back specters of my weakness... my _failure_..? You took my Genis from me... only to dangle him in front of my eyes? _Why

The specter looked confused at my words. "...dead? I'm not dead! I'm right here!" It reached towards me, almost hesitantly.

"—_S-stay back!_" I tried to scream, yet managed only a strangled whisper. "...taunt me no longer. I... _killed_ Genis... this... this _figment..._ cannot be real..."

"You— you _killed_ me? B-but I... I thought..." My companion's ghost looked surprised, confused, hurt... and worse, betrayed.

At his hurt expression my decision to face down this ghost withered and died. All my resolution, all my remaining strength, flew right out of me. "...an accident... I-I didn't _mean_ to... t-the psion... he..." I choked out.

"...the _psion_? Oh! You mean this..?" The phantom withdrew his arm, reaching for the folds of his shirt by his pocket. I braced myself, ready for an attack, horrible imagery, anything... but nothing prepared me for what I saw.

It lifted its nightshirt to reveal his hip; where I had thought would be a horrible, jagged axe wound was only a light pink line, a tiny scar...

"Raine healed me last night while we were waiting for you to wake up..." he volunteered as he released his shirt, the light fabric fluttering back down to cover his side. "Besides, it wasn't that bad to begin with. Even without Raine, I would have been fine."

_'...B-but if that's true... if this is _real_... t-then Genis... is...'_

"..._alive_?" I whispered in shock. He nodded, sliding slightly closer.

_"NO!" _The voice screamed in my head. _"It's a lie! It's just trying to trick you! Genis is dead! You—"_

_'—GET OUT OF MY MIND!' _I thought back with all the force I could muster, surprising the voice into silence. _'If he is a fake, I will know. I _must_ know. If he is real... and, I didn't kill him... then...' _"...I have to know." I whispered to myself.

I reached forward, not daring to believe but deep down hoping_, hoping_ Genis was really alive somehow. That he really was sitting in front of me, alive and well. I _had_ to know... _'...is he real? Is he really still alive? Or is this just another phantom, come to torture me again?'_

My trembling hand, reaching... made contact with his cheek, solid, warm, and _real_. Unconsciously my hand continued, brushing a lock of his soft, all-too-real hair... it traced the ridge of his ear, stopping to gently toy with the pointed tip... I felt the heat radiate from him as a rosy flush of _life_ filled his cheeks.

"...It's true then... you really _are_ alive..!" I breathed. Trembling, I reached with my other arm and pulled Genis close, tears of joy bursting from my eyes as I held on tight in fear that he might vanish on me. "Oh thank the Tree... I-I thought I lost you... I thought... I thought I _killed_ you..."

"Shh..." he soothed, holding me as I sobbed joyfully into the folds of his nightshirt. "I-It's okay... I'm here. I-I'm not gonna die."

...and so I remained, wrapped in Genis' comforting arms for a good few minutes. All those horrible thoughts of betrayal, of weakness, of being alone, vanished as long as I had Genis here with me. He _was_ alive. I _hadn't_ killed him. That... was all that mattered.

Even after the tears stopped I still held him for a time, terrified that if I let him go he might disappear from my life again. Finally, tentatively, I released him to let him lean back slowly. His face, no longer sleepy in the slightest, was so red his eyes shone like blue diamonds in the contrast.

"...Uhm... A-Are you alright now, P-Presea?" He asked, concern still showing despite the stutters.

"I... I think so..."

"Well then," a voice interrupted, making us jump: "If you two are done 'comforting' each other, then Genis, would you mind making us some breakfast?" I turned to find Raine, propped up on one elbow, watching us both with an amused little smile on her face. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Genis' face go from red to a bright purple; from the burning sensation I am fairly certain I also blushed some deep shade of red.

"...uh... oki'mjustgonnagomakebreakfastnow..." Genis squeaked before bolting from the tent, still blushing purple. I would probably had followed, had my body not been entrapped by this sleeping bag.

"Um... Ms. Raine..." I began slowly.

"Yes, Presea?" she drawled amusedly.

"H-how long were you awake just now?" I asked, hoping she hadn't been awake to hear me talk of having killed Genis, or worse, seen me with my axe.

"Long enough," she replied, the smile vanishing from her face. "You thought the psion made you kill Genis?"

"...yes."

Gone was the teacher, mentor and companion–Raine; her expression had become that of the doctor, the healer we had relied on for so much of the journey. "...Hn. I can't force the information out of you, Presea. All I can do is ask. Is there anything you want to share with me? Anything at all?"

"..." I was sorely tempted to just let the entire truth out, the dreams, the voice, everything. Then Raine could help me and the whole thing might be over. But then I realized: _'If I tell her, she will tell Genis... I will not make him suffer anymore. Not for me. He has already done so much for me; I will not burden him further by dumping my weakness, my problems, in his lap. He does not deserve that.'_

"...no. But thank you."

Raine sighed. "...Alright. Then if you don't mind, I'm going to get changed now. Could I ask you to step outside for a moment?"

Rather than reply, I quickly extricated myself from my bag. I was headed for the tentflap when Raine called out; "Oh, and Presea?"

"Yes?"

"I didn't know you had such a thing for pointed ears," she said with a bemused smirk as my blush returned. The strict doctor–Raine was gone, replaced once more by the Raine that was my friendly companion and Genis' loving, sometimes–overprotective sister.

I unzipped the flap and left Raine in the tent, figuring that if I could have some time to relax, to clear my head, I could continue on with today unhindered. Finding a large boulder on the outskirts of camp, I sat down and practiced several breathing techniques Daddy had taught me. Before his illness forced him to stop work, Daddy had developed these techniques to relax and recover after each long and painful day; he taught them to me when I had first equipped my Crystal and was going through the transition period. Now I used the same time-tested techniques to recover from the turmoil of emotion that had rampaged through me.

Slowly, gently, I forced myself to relax and forget. Forget the pain, forget the fear, forget even the dreams for now. I made myself a mental promise to go back to it all later. _'But for now, I shall just... forget. Before I can worry about any of that,'_ I decided, _'I have to make my peace with Genis. I must apologize, for... injuring... him yesterday. I owe him that much at least.'_ I stood up to go find Genis. As I approached I noticed he had already lit a small fire, and was trying to prepare eggs on a skillet over the flame. I took a seat on the log next to him, waiting for him to finish balancing the skillet before disturbing him.

"Genis..." I began.

Genis jumped, a difficult feat for someone kneeling. Luckily he had let go of the skillet, or making breakfast would have been a more embarrassing affair.

"Y-Yes, P-Presea?" he stammered, his blush returning.

"I am... sorry... about yesterday." I lowered my head in shame.

"What?" He replied, voice incredulous as he turned to me. "That wasn't your fault! The psion was manipulating your mind!"

"Be that as it may, I still... hurt you." I responded, small tears beading in the corners of my eyes. "I feel... guilty... for causing you more suffering."

**GENIS:**

"C-causing _me_ suffering? Y-you haven't done anything _like_ that!" I said, grabbing her by her shoulders. "Y-you're the one t-that's been suffering, w-with your dream and all..."

Presea got oddly pensive, as if only just remembering it. "...My dream..?" She winced once, hand going to her right side, before turning her face back to mine. "My dream... is exactly that. Just a dream. Please do not concern yourself with it. It is nothing of importance."

_'You know what? Screw you, Raine. I'm not gonna sit back and watch Presea torture herself to death with denial over this dream.'_ I decided. Mustering up what little courage I had (after peeking back at the tent), I turned back to Presea.

"I-It's... it's..."

_'Gods, why can't I just do this? I've been rehearsing this for days! Why can't I... rrgh! Snap out of it!' _

With a deep breath and exhalation I tried to continue. _"_ ...I-it's not just a dream. Just looking at your a-actions for the p-past week, I-I can tell its m-more than j-just a dream. Even a n-normal repeating nightmare is important, and _they_ don't make people faint, feel random p-pains in their side, or start snuggling their companions in their sleep!"

"But... Genis..."

"Denying this dream... denying _yourself_... is only going to make it hurt more. Please..." I begged, shaking her shoulders once for emphasis. "...Please, let us... let me _help_ you. Please."

"I am sorry, Genis, but I... I cannot..." She started to turn her face away, eyes watering.

"But...but why?"

"Because I could not stand to make you suffer. Not because of _my_ weakness."

"...b-but you already _are_ making me suffer..." I muttered without noticing. It wasn't until I saw Presea stiffen that I realized I had spoken out loud.

Her head turned shakily back to face mine, her eyes wide. "...W-what? How?" she whispered, looking strangely horrified.

_'Well, now it's out. Great job, Genis. Better finish the thought or you're gonna look like some insensitive moron.'_

"...E-Every time I see you hurting, and I-I try to help, and you push me away... a part of me _d-dies_ inside." I said. "I-It _hurts_, right here..." I continued, placing a hand over my heart.

"To see you in such obvious pain, and to have you just... _reject_ my help, despite that pain... i-it really hurts, in a way you couldn't imagine." I finished, looking deep into her eyes as I spoke. A maelstrom of emotions, surprise, confusion, fear, and the tiniest hint of something I could not place, all shone bright in her... beautiful... deep blue eyes... mere inches from mine... _'Must not fall to pieces... don't let hormones kill me... must stay strong... for, Presea's sake...'_

"I... I... I-I (gulp) I _care_ about you, Presea." I managed to stammer. "...I-I really do. B-by keeping this to yourself, by torturing yourself... you're _k_-_killing_ me, slowly and painfully."

Presea was stunned. She rocked back on her seat as if I had slugged her across the face; her face was ashen as a hand rose to her lips in horror. "...N-no... that's... that's not... I-I'm... _killing_ you..?" She didn't wait for an answer; one look at my face somehow told her all she needed to know. Then she did something, something that ate away at my soul...

She started to cry.

_'Gods, Presea... you don't know what you're doing to me...'_ I thought as I felt my heart be wrenched from my chest and thrown to the floor. I had seen her eyes watering, seen her sobbing from joy... I could handle those... but this, this blatant expression of pain... and knowing I had caused it... it was, oh gods it was too much for me. With trembling arms I pulled her close, trying to offer what comfort I could while trying not to break into tears myself. She latched onto me tightly, sobbing into my shoulder. I gently rubbed her back as the tears ran down her face, soaking the shoulder of my shirt.

_'Oh gods, look at her. This is completely my fault. I thought I'd tell her this, shock her into telling me what was going on, then I could help her... but this? This was _not_ what I wanted... oh, Presea...' _

_'...maybe Raine was right. I should have waited until she told me on her own. But instead now she's hurting, even more than just from the dream... and its _entirely my fault._ How was I so _stupid_? Poor Presea... gods I am such an idiot. I wish I had a Memory Circle here...'_

**PRESEA:**

_'...oh gods... this... this isn't what I wanted to happen...'_ I thought bitterly as I sobbed into Genis' shoulder. _'I... I was trying to _protect_ him... _keep_ him from suffering... But by doing that... I-I'm... I'm _killing_ him...'_

_'After coming so close to losing him... now... now I'm _killing_ him? Gods... what's wrong with me..? Every time I try to protect him, I end up hurting him more... but if I don't protect him... he will get hurt too...'_ Memories of the Salamander came rushing to my mind; there too I hadn't been quick enough, strong enough to keep him safe... and Genis had paid the price...

_'...Why am I so inadequate, so useless? ...it does not matter what I do, someone will always get hurt... Someone dear to me must always pay the price for my weakness... first Daddy, then Alicia, then Colette, and now Genis... it's not fair...' _I thought miserably.

**GENIS:**

Her sobs were becoming fewer and less frequent now, the tears subsiding from their earlier stream. Now that she was more calm, I figured, I could try to fix things. I opened my mouth to speak, and found my voice muffled by a thunderclap loud enough to shake the pots on the cooking rack. Raine came bursting out of the tent like an orange-and-silver whirlwind, only half-dressed and hair looking disheveled. _'Part of her fear of water also makes her deathly afraid of rainstorms, thunderstorms in particular.'_ I remembered, and made a mental note to ask her why that was.

Raine came bolting over to us, still pulling her boots on and buttoning her jacket. "We need to leave. Now." she burst out breathlessly.

"...but Raine, what about—"

"—_Whatever_ it is, it can be taken care of once we're safely—" (CRASH) "...at Asgard." she said, cringing from the thunder. Without even bothering to continue she immediately moved to the cooking supplies, tossing the eggs into the fire while gathering the skillet up and binding it to the pack. I sighed and turned to Presea, who was still clinging to me, but less powerfully. "...uhm, P-Presea..."

"...Genis..?" Presea responded, her expression still fearful but no longer crying.

"...We need to... uhm... can we... uh..."

"...I understand," she answered, her face regaining its usual stoic manner. That hard veneer cracked for a moment as she continued speaking: "...but, when we reach Asgard... could we..?"

Now it was my turn to understand. I nodded twice, then released Presea so she could stand up. Together we began taking down the tent, rolling it quickly and stuffing it into the Wing Pack. After shrinking and storing the Rheiards we set off at a quick march, hoping to beat the rain to Asgard. Sadly...

.•°•.•°•.A Few Minutes Later.•°•.•°•.

...The winds slammed the door shut as we dashed into the lobby of the Silver Lining Hotel. A manservant quickly appeared with several large towels, the first of which Raine immediately made use of. The next towel went to Presea, and I got the last one, a soft, fluffy blue one I quickly got acquainted with. As soon as Raine had scrubbed the water off her, she returned the towel and went over to the lobby desk. The manager, instantly recognizing her, greeted her warmly.

"Ah, Ms. Sage. I am terribly sorry for the inclement weather. I believe you are in need of a room?"

"...Y-yes, please." Raine responded, shivering from the cold. "...how much?" she inquired shakily, pulling her money purse from a pocket within her orange overcoat.

"Oh please, madam Sage, I have told you already. You and your companions are welcome here as often as you like, free of charge. After helping us with our Wind Demon problem, as well as saving young Aisha, we could never accept any compensation from you. That would be heartless of us." He suddenly snapped back into business mode: "So, that will be one room for 3? Or would you prefer two rooms?"

**RAINE:**

"One room, please. I couldn't burden you for two." _'That and having two rooms would make it harder to keep an eye on those two...' _I thought to myself, habitual worry over Genis' safety rising again.

"Of course, Ms. Sage. Right this way," he said as he led the way up the staircase. "Due to the rather dismal weather, there are very few tourists in town today; this leaves you three with the pick of the house," he mentioned as we passed several doors. "...Ahh, here we are. Suite 205," he said as he presented the key with a flourish, indicating the door with his free hand. "There are two rooms within; one with a single, queen bed, and one with two twin beds. The room is intended for families, thus it should suit your purposes perfectly. The rope and bell," indicating a red, velvet streamer tied to a series of pulleys leading to the door frame, "...will summon a maid to your disposal should you need one. In the event you need it, the sofa folds out into another double bed, and the cabinets," indicating the back wall, "are stocked with dry, pre-prepared foodstuffs. Room service is available through the maids, should you so desire." With that, he bid us adieu and returned to his bookkeeping.

Presea began setting up her belongings, looking rather distracted as Genis lit a roaring blaze in the fireplace. He moved off into their room shortly after, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone with my thoughts and worries for the day ahead. Sight fixed on the fire I sat down on the sofa, only to jump back up again as I felt myself sit on a bump. Turning, I noticed there was nothing on the sofa; it was then that I remembered the psion's necklace in my pocket.

Pulling the amulet from my pocket and gazing deep into its chaotic swirls, I immediately felt myself sinking back into the comforting frenzy that Lloyd once dubbed my "Ruins Mode." I immediately took over the nearby desk, stacking books (both from the available library and my own personal stores) close at hand to cover the entire surface space. I set the chain down upon the last available spot and immediately began poring over every book I had for even a speck of information about the ancient relic. One dusty tome from the library's collection proved most informative.

"Hmm... Demestrius' Phylactery. Developed by the historic thoughtmage Demester Ilphumion, more commonly known as Demestrius. It was originally created as a warding pendant, to protect his mind from other psionic attacks while he slumbered. At the time of his death, fearing his vast storehouse of knowledge would be lost forever, he added a storage enchantment and poured all his wisdom and magical prowess into the jewel. It was then lost for thousands of years, when the museum he willed it to was bombed during the Great Kharlan War and its remains plundered by conquering soldiers. Both images and sightings of it are recorded in the recently-unearthed Paintings of Malkariss, several references in the Tower of Mana's post-War books, and the writings within the Balacruf Mausoleum; yet no sightings more recent than 100 years ago have been reported. It is rumored to retain several of Demestrius' powers, bestowing them upon the bearer or strengthening already-existing similar ones. Among these powers are telekinesis, a mastery of mana, and—"

"...raine?" Genis asked sleepily as he closed the door behind him. "...s'oneaclock... shud be sleepin..."

"...Then may I ask what you're doing up?" I asked sternly, irritated at having my study interrupted.

"..s'gettin watter... presea n'i're thirstee..." he mumbled as he moved for the sink. "...whats your excuse?" he asked, his voice (and impeccable grammar) returning to normal as he slowly woke up.

"Well... I... I was conducting very important research!" I replied, slightly embarrassed.

"So important that it needed to be done at one at night?" he retorted, his scathing wit awakening with his sentience.

"...well... yes!" I answered, face turning slightly red. "...and since you have your water, you should be returning to your room. Presea is thirsty, after all!"

"...okfine..." he replied, blushing as he opened the door. "...but you should go to bed soon too, sis," he said over his shoulder to me; "You're gonna need to be awake for the debate tomorrow with the town leaders."

"...Alright. I'll head to bed. Goodnight Genis." I responded, suddenly very tired as my archaeological frenzy wore off. I stood up and slowly made my way to my room, closing the door behind me and dropping face-first onto the bed. I was asleep before I hit the pillow...

**GENIS:**

Turning around to make sure Raine was actually going to bed, my eyes caught on something at the desk. "...Hey Raine? You for—"

–**SLAM– **...thump...

"...got your necklace..." I finished with a sigh. Shaking my head I moved to the desk to put it away for her. With a start I recognized the swirling gem; it was the same one the psion had worn when he had attacked us!

After the initial rage at the psion's memory had passed, I noticed several papers on Raine's desk, covered in the chickenscratch she used when in her "Ruins Mode." _'So that's what Raine was studying! I wonder if she found anything...'_ I thought to myself as I opened a dusty old brown book to the page Raine had wrote down. Scanning the page, I quickly found the pictures of the necklace and began to read the passage.

"Hmm... Demestrius' Phylactery... rumored to retain several of Demestrius' powers, bestowing them upon the bearer or strengthening already-existing similar ones. Among these are telekinesis, a mastery of mana, and the ability to read into and alter surface thoughts, including emotions, imagination,_ and dreams..._"

_'This is great!'_ I thought, suddenly wide awake with excitement._ 'I can just use this thing and—'_

_"And _what_?"_ a little voice piped up in the back of my head. _"Try to help her again with an off-the-cuff, half-baked plan? Fat lot of good _that_ did, remember?'_ Memories of this afternoon's episode flooded unbidden to my mind: _Presea... in tears... in _pain

_...because of me..._

_"You still wanna just go ahead and rush through with that? Or maybe you wanna think this one through _properly_? You know, research it, weigh the possibilities... be sure you're not making another mistake?" _the voice queried.

The voice had a point. I hadn't scoped out what might happen if I did this. Sure, there was a chance I could fix the situation... but what if I just made it worse again? _'The last time I made it worse, she started crying; if I make it even worse... imagine what could happen...'_

_'...then what do I do? I can't just leave her like this...'_

_"Research it. Make absolutely sure that whatever you plan, it won't hurt her any worse. See if there are alternatives. You've got books. Figure it out!"_

_'Ok, I'll research it. Tomorrow. While Raine is debating with the town leaders and Presea and I are stuck here, I can—'_

"...Genis? Are you alright out there?" Presea's voice echoed softly from our room.

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine!" I called back, a little too loudly.

"...Are you sure? ...you've taken a rather long time to get a glass of water..."

Blushing profusely, I pocketed the chain, certain Raine wouldn't remember it in her mad dash to get to the meeting on time tomorrow morning. I then grabbed the two glasses of water and returned to our room, handing one quickly to a grateful yet sleepy-looking Presea. She smiled gently, then began rapidly downing her glass.

Setting my glass by the nightstand, I tucked myself into bed and settled down to sleep. It wasn't long until I was rudely awakened by a loud outbreak of—

...Hic...

...Hic... Hic...

...Hic...

"...Presea? You alright?" I called over to her.

**PRESEA:**

_'...why me?'_ I thought bitterly as another hiccup shook my exhausted body. _'...is it not bad enough I must endure these horrible nightmares? Now I do not even get to sleep at all, thanks to these—' _Hic _'...these hiccups? ...why does everything always happen to me?'_

Genis seemed perturbed by something, because he quickly climbed out of his bed and padded over to mine, taking a seat next to me. "...hiccups?"

"...ye–Hic! ...yes..."

"...I-I used to get those too. Raine knew some tricks to g-get rid of them. I-If you want... I could try one or two..."

"...I—" I was trying to say no, that he shouldn't trouble himself, when the bubble that was a particularly large and painful hiccup caught in my throat. Tears sprang to my eyes involuntarily as I cleared my throat so I could breathe. I acquiesced, seeing Genis' worried look. "...if you wouldn't mind, Ge–Hic! ...Genis, that would be nice. ...thank you."

**GENIS:**

"S-sure! I-It's no p-problem at all!" _'Now which one...' _I deliberated quickly._ 'I don't think all of them will work.'_

Raine's "miracle cure" —spinning on your head while upside down and being held by your ankles— was quickly discarded; I had never really been able to make that one work. So too was drinking the glass of molten caramel; how was I going to heat up that much sugar without waking Raine or burning the hotel to the ground? Just as I almost ran out of ideas, Raine's earliest cure came to me.

With shaking arms and a light blush on my face, I gently hugged Presea close to me so her head rested on my shoulder. She seemed somewhat confused but didn't resist. Paying careful attention to the details I could remember, I took both fists and gently massaged the back of her ribcage with rubs and light thumps, just above where her lungs were. Her hiccups subsided, becoming less frequent after a few minutes of treatment. As they stopped, I looked down to find her chest rising and falling rhythmically; she was fast asleep, and had probably been for the past several minutes.

The fact that she was comfortable enough to fall asleep on me brought a scarlet flush to my cheeks. I managed to pry her off of me and tuck her into her bed, only for her hand to reach out and grab onto mine desperately. Her face got a troubled expression when I tried to remove it, and she mumbled unhappily in her sleep, cringing as unseen demons assailed her dreams.

_'Presea...'_ I squeezed her hand once reassuringly; her expression softened, the shadows of her dreams scared off at least temporarily. I somehow managed to pull a nearby chair over with my foot. It was a miracle that both Presea and Raine were still asleep after the noise the thing made as it traveled. Once adjusting the chair so it was right next to her I sat down, Presea's hand still clasped tightly in my own. After only a few minutes I was sound asleep.

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

I have the next chapter started, so it should be up soon. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back into swing, but after 2 weeks of non-writing I had really lost my train of plot. But I've found it, and now the updates should come quicker. Expect the next by next Sunday at latest, I promise!

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten their little episode this afternoon; nor, for that matter, has Presea. It will be covered in the next chapter, as I didn't wish to try it in my current state. That and it has a separate spot in the plot.

¿ObviousMan?


	7. Interlude: Fear

Now don't tell me, let me guess: You all hate my guts for taking so long to update. I'm sorry this one took so long, but I really had to concentrate on my schoolwork. (Was coming close to failing several subjects, so something had to give and unfortunately it was this.) Anyway, I'm back and so is chapter 7 of Alone Together.

But first, the reviews: (Gah, too many)

**ManaMage:** Yay, so it _is_ purple! As for the tree, reference teh Duck's review.

**MoonCannon:** Thanks... I'll try to keep this one as good as the last.

**Tropicalia:** I try. I'll see if I can keep this chapter as imagist as the last.

**TheWhiteMonk:** (Did I ever mention that I really like that name?) ...yep, I write to fill a need. Gesea forever! ...anyway. The Psion (or rather another Psion) might make a reappearance, in this story or the sequel; the necklace will have future uses.

**Rigetta:** Sorry it took so long then, but I hope you can forgive me.

**Cristina Gomez:** I'm glad you're enjoying it. Here's the next chapter.

**TimmyCheese:** The necklace? Yep. I have a very overactive imagination. Yeah, Presea was slightly out of character there, but she was also exhausted... as was I when I wrote up that last bit. Sorry.

**Duck's Requiem:** ...squeaky? Well, mine aren't squeaky... but then again, I'm not really sane, so that could be it. Yeah, I have trouble seeing ToS as a prequel, so it's possible the tree isn't really Yggdrasill as people say. ...final point: not all are afraid of death. Many just fear what follows. ...I'll try and keep the angst in there.

**LJ3:** More of the ToS gang? I was planning on a few, but to tell you who would be spoiling. Suffice to say, just wait and see.

**Angel White:** The first chapter really should have been titled a prologue, as all it did was set the scene and the characters. Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree, the story gets better as it goes along, partially because I'm learning what works and what doesn't as I go. Let's see if this chapter lives up to the plan.

**The Tailed Madman:** ...yes, I remembered that he changed the name; however, in my line of thinking he didn't abandon it, just kept it for one or two later occasions, like a fancier title than just "Professor."

f0n9: 0b53r\/47i0\ 70\/3r? ... )0\'7 1ik3 b3i\9 5pi3) 0\...

...get over it, f0n9...

**Ilvinaeda:** Hey, you reviewed. That's all that counts.

1) Yep. That's about what I was going for.

2) I'm trying to cut back a bit on the fluff so as to leave more room for the action. It will still be there, but it won't be as rampant as in the past few chapters.

3) Finals are second week in June; I'm gonna try for one more update before then; after that it's summer and a lot more updates.

**Cristina Gomez:** Wow, not often you get someone reviewing twice...

**Gensea:** ...except by accident. Oh well. I'll keep the story going. Better than TV? Ooh.

**ChaosGriffin:** Great author? ...I'm not too sure about that, but I'll update. Hey wait, I just did! There you go then.

**Ookami no Anubis:** Sorry you aren't/weren't feeling well, but at least you're gonna be kept busy. I'll see if I can throw in another picture-type image for you.

**Bballstar42:** "...you so obviously possess..." ...don't think I didn't catch that. Anyway, another Gesea fan! Yay. More works will be on the way once I finish this one.

**Presea Sage:** I can't say for certain how many more chapters until it's done, but I can guarantee that it shouldn't be too long for you to read.

**Blazing Fool:** GAH SHOES! (duck and cover) ...I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'll update! Just put... the shoes... down..!

**Myotis:** ...wow, that's a... well... yah. Thanks... that's a pretty glowing review, one I'm not really sure I deserve... but thanks anyway.

...Those of you who don't hate me already probably hate me now: this chapter's a...

...FILLER CHAPTER!

...sorry folks. I've completely lost my grip on the plot. I'll get back to the story in the next chapter, meanwhile I figured I should address something I'd noticed in the game itself.

**RAPID-FIRE DISCLAIMER OF MULTILINGUAL CORRECTNESS:**

I do not own Tales of Symphonia or Namco. Je n'ai ni Tales de Symphonia ni Namco. Yo poseer ni Tales del Symphonia ni Namco. Ich besitze nicht Tales von Symphonia oder Namco. Now you can't sue me from anywhere, hah! Reference Chp. 6 for rating explanation.

type Normal

_type _ Flashback

_'type'_ Thoughts

_"type"_ Mindvoice

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

..._I pocketed the chain, certain Raine wouldn't remember it in her mad dash to get to the meeting on time tomorrow morning. I then grabbed the two glasses of water and returned to our room, handing one quickly to a grateful yet sleepy-looking Presea. She smiled contentedly, then began rapidly downing her glass... _

**RAINE:**

I awoke after a peaceful night's sleep to the sound of birdsong, muffled by the gentle pattering of rain. After last night's long, hard dash through the storm, followed by my late-night adrenaline-fueled study, I had slept like a rock on Tranquilizers. Stretching briefly, I scanned over the room for unusual items or signs of movement; finding none, I stood and headed drowsily for the shower, nervous habits sated.

Turning the cold metal handle, I took a seat on the (closed) toilet as I let the water run and warm up. _'...thank the Tree they have a shower in this place... I really need to wake up for this meeting at—'_ Suddenly something clicked; I looked over at the clock, a sensation of cold dread growing in the pit of my stomach as I realized:

It was 9:45. My meeting with the Town Council was scheduled for 10:00.

Ignoring the fact that the water was ice cold, I leaped into the shower, scrubbing myself like a woman possessed. _'...seraphim in heaven... I can't _believe_ I slept in! I'm gonna be late!'_ After about a minute and a half of cleaning and washing my hair, I bolted out of the shower, only just remembering to grab a towel and dry myself off before dashing across our hotel room for my dresser. Rapidly pulling on some outfit from the corner of the drawer, I grabbed my purse and bolted out the door... into the rain... with no raincoat.

But there was no time to worry about that; I had a meeting to get to. I had only ten minutes to cross the entire town of Asgard and make it over to the Council Chambers before I would be late. As I trudged (or, more appropriately, _sloshed_) through the thick mud that was the main path through Asgard, I silently cursed the rain that soaked my freshly-dried clothes and sent shivers of cold fear throughout my body.

I... _hate_ rain. Ever since that day almost 12 years ago, I have hated and feared storms, especially thunderstorms. The reason is this: A thunderstorm almost killed myself and my little brother before we had reached Sylvarant, or even the Otherworldly Gate...

_...my mother, Virginia, had been a model citizen in Heimdall before her relations with my father; this made it extremely difficult for the other citizens, when I was born in clear defiance of the half-elf legislation. My father, being a human, was simply banished from the village. However, Mother was an elf, and by law no elves could live outside the village or risk execution by the king. My mother had been an upstanding citizen until this point, and the other citizens refused to condemn her to certain death. As such she was still tolerated within the village, but with disdain— a fallen idol. Then they learned that Virginia had been secretly seeing my father, in the forbidden Ymir Forest of all places. And to top it all off, she soon bore another half-elf, a son whom she named Genis. This was too much._

_At the end of the year, during the semi-annual Council meeting, it was determined that Virginia could no longer be tolerated. Model citizen or not, she had been fraternizing with a banished ex-citizen and human, and had bore two children of illegal race. They agreed that the only course available to them was to get rid of her. She was given a warning, that if she refused to leave by the start of spring, both she and "her abominations" –myself and Genis– would be executed as an example to the rest of the village. In early March, she finally complied._

_Kloitz, my ...father, abandoned Virginia at his earliest possible convenience. He had only been using her for her ties to the Council; he had had plans to sneak in with her help. The Pope in Meltokio had hired him to steal some of the more powerful magic items held by the elves, which were being stored in a secret chamber under the Heimdall windmill. Now that Virginia was no longer a citizen, and he had been banished, he had been forced to abandon that plan— and thus, Virginia. _

_Mother was heartbroken. She now desperately clung to the idea that, like her city, her love had abandoned her because of the two ...abominations... she had spawned. At first she thought of just killing us in the hopes of winning back Kloitz' love. Thankfully, her maternal instinct kicked in, and she decided to just abandon us. She had been too kind before her sanity left her to simply abandon us on the street; she wanted us to have some semblance of a happy life, a life where we could have what she had now been denied. Then she heard about the Otherworldly Gate, portal to the mystical land of Sylvarant. _

_With what remained of her funds, she purchased two boat tickets to Altamira, on a route that would take us close to the Gate. She had to smuggle Genis aboard, since she could not afford the third ticket. As we passed at our closest point to the Gate –two day's sail– she set us adrift in a wooden washbasin, with enough supplies to hopefully keep us alive until we reached the island and the Gate opened at the full moon. She then used what remained of her magic, weakened as it was by malnutrition, to send our little "boat" sailing off towards the Gate. Until I saw her in Exire last year, I had never heard from her again._

_The reason I hate thunderstorms stems from this tub ride. On our second day of sailing, as the island and its mysterious columns came into view, a sea storm blew in without warning. Our craft was tossed and thrown about by the waves, bone-dry one second then swamping the next as it tumbled through air and sea. I almost lost Genis twice to the raging waters— the handles on the tub provided an anchor for me, but Genis was too small to fit safely. I had to hold him in my arms. _

_As the shore of the island came into sight, a particularly large wave tossed us through the air. As we flew for the shore, a bolt of lightning struck the only metal object for miles: the steel ring on the handle of the basin. The tub exploded, and Genis and I were sent hurtling towards one of the columns. The last thing I remember was a bright flash of purple just as we slammed into something, unconscious. _

_I awoke on my back outside present-day Palmacosta, Genis in my arms. Our supplies were strewn, soaked and worthless, across the path as a mirror thunderstorm poured cold fury upon the land. Ignoring the supplies, as well as my splinters and gashes from the destroyed basin, I carried the still-unconscious Genis to shelter under a nearby tree. This was only the beginning—_

I was pulled suddenly from my memories as the Council building hove into view; I sprinted for the building as a loud crack of thunder shook the air. The large, circular clock struck ten just as I slammed the door shut, the Council already assembled before me. Taking a deep breath I took a seat at the table, opening my satchel and spreading my papers before me. With one more calming breath, I began my case...

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Ok, it's short. Sue me. I kinda lost track of where I was going with the main tale. I'm going back and re-reading what I've done so far, which usually will tell me where I was going with the plot. I'll have a better chapter up soon, probably within two weeks. Sorry!

...With any luck, I'll update soon.

¿ObviousMan?


	8. Family

Sorry about the filler chapter last update. I re-read everything, and I think I have an idea as to where I'll go next. Let's see if this train of thought can pick up some momentum...

**Reviews:**

MoonCannon: How is it you always manage to be my first reviewer? I'll try to make this chapter a little bigger to make up for the filler.

Blazing Fool: I plan on getting back to Genis and Presea this chapter, no worries.

ChaosGriffin: Ow. Cats? I'm allergic... now I can sneeze when I'm dead! YAY! ...anyway. Update for you, thank you come again.

TheWhiteMonk: I dunno, it's simple, yet detailed. Descriptive and powerful in three short words. I like it.

Rigetta: Here we go, two weeks... here's hoping it comes out good.

ManaMage: Looking at the front of the box, it certainly looks purple, although I could just be going mental. ...it's probably that.

Tropicalia: Having never played FFIX, I can't really say... Oh well. I hope you had a good time at camp, since you should only be able to read this once you get back.

Raine's Tears: Ok, long chapter for you, since too poor to sue I am.

Bballstar42: Sure you aren't... oh well. Back to work.

Praiser: I plan to. Here we go.

GyppyGirl2021: It was a little short, only because it was just a filler chapter. Sorry!

LJ3: I'm trying, I'm trying... I think I got this one up within the two week deadline...

The Tailed Madman: I can't do all the languages, just the ones I know a little of. I left out Russian, Greek and Japanese because wouldn't accept the symbols. Dutch... I didn't think of. My apologies.

KyasarinBurukkuTakara: I think you're referring to the flash of purple on the Rheiard from Chapter Awhile-Ago, which (if you haven't guessed by now) was Sheena. If you were referring to last chapter's bright purple flash, I'll give you a hint: It wasn't a person.

Gensea Fan: (adds tank of oxygen) ...breathe, child. Breathe. Air is good for you. Probably twice as good as story. Breathe.

Balance - Auric Argunaki: Yeah, their minds are a little on the darker side, but that will change as the plot goes on. As for the monotony, I wasn't planning on it; I already have that little scene planned out. (No, it's not this chapter.)

Jupiter Sprite: ...lessee now. Did I pillage that mental village..? (Checks checklist) ...no, I'm afraid you're clean. However, I do know where to loot and plunder next... bewhahahahaha...

And the only reason I went this route with Kloitz and Virginia is that, when you visit Exire, Virginia is insane. As in psycho, nutcase, mind go bye-bye insane. And she seems to have lost her memories all the way back to her second half-elf child (Remember how she thinks she's still pregnant with Genis?), which is about when I had Kloitz banished and her happy life end.

...In addition, if Kloitz had stayed with her, lived a long, full life in Exire, then died a natural death, three things are missing.

1) Where's Kloitz's grave?

2) Why did Virginia lose it so totally?

3) Why hadn't they just kept their kids with them on Exire?

...that's why I went this route. Altogether it comes out smoother than having to work it out step by step and counter-write every fact to make sure it fits, like I would have had to for the happier idea. Sorry if this wasn't to your liking.

N1H0nJ1n: Wow, you people really like my story, don't you... I'll try to keep the tale up to spec. No promises though, especially since I'm gonna try breaking some new ground at the end of this one... Wish me luck.

But first, the **LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES:**

Due to a completely unexpected series of events involving two squirrels, a bag of peanuts, three gallons of kerosene and a few large kegs of my finest Oktoberfest stores, my glorious scheme to inebriate the higher-ups of Namco and convince them in this drunken state to sell me the rights to Tales of Symphonia for 50 cents and a pack of Winterfresh gum... has failed miserably. As such, it is to my extreme distaste that I must inform you all I don't own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, or any of the characters/original creations contained within. I am merely borrowing them for an extended period of time. All copyrights still belong to their original owners and creators, and will continue to be until my next mad scheme is complete.

Curse you, squirrels! I'll get you yet!

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

..._Ignoring the fact that the water was ice cold, I leaped into the shower, scrubbing myself like a woman possessed._ '...seraphim in heaven... I can't _believe_ I slept in! I'm gonna be late!' _After about a minute and a half of cleaning and washing my hair, I bolted out of the shower, only just remembering to grab a towel and dry myself off before dashing across our hotel room for my dresser. Rapidly pulling on some outfit from the corner of the drawer, I grabbed my purse and bolted out the door..._

**GENIS:**

-SLAM- "...gah!"

A loud slam quickly woke me from what had been, up to this point, relatively peaceful slumber. As I settled down again, I took stock of my surroundings; I had been sleeping in a chair next to Presea's bedside, holding her hand for support. The shades were drawn, and two glasses of water, one empty (Presea's) and one near-full (mine), were sitting on the nearby nightstand. The polished, hardwood floor was littered with droplets of water, which trailed from the bathroom to the main bedroom and out to the front door.

_'Guess I was right... Raine slept in after all.'_ A soft rustling pulled my attention back from the door as Presea stirred. Her blue eyes fluttered open, blinked, then turned themselves upward to meet my own.

"G'morning, Presea," by some miracle of the gods, I managed to say without stuttering.

"Good morning Genis," she replied, a contented smile crossing her features.

Desperate not to let this fall into another awkward silence, I continued. "...uhm... you sleep well?"

**PRESEA:**

"...uhm... you sleep well?"

Not only was my sleep peaceful and uninterrupted, for the first time in almost a month I had dreamt of something other than the nightmare. According to my criteria, I had slept better than merely 'well.'

"Yes..." I responded, smiling lightly. "You?"

"I-I slept fine! ...thanks... ...You, uhm... you want anything for breakfast?"

Apparently, the old Ozette myth about "one's stomach having ears" was true; no sooner did he ask then my stomach rumbled softly. "I... would not mind breakfast, thank you..." I responded, blushing lightly.

"Sure! J-just gimme a few minutes to see what food we have, okay?"

I nodded my assent; he left the room to rummage through the food cabinets. I took this time to get changed out of my sleeping garments into something more suitable for my daily routine, then went into the central room to see what I could do to help. Genis had not had the time to change out of his... "pajamas" he calls them, though I do not know the origin of this moniker. He was still adorned in this soft and fuzzy attire, a set of long pants patterned in blue plaid and a white, short sleeved shirt. A long, limp, pointed blue hat with a white fur trim still covered much of his head, so that only a few "spikes" of silver-white hair poked out from underneath; a ridiculous white poof hung from a short string attached to the point of this hat, which (to Genis' chagrin) occasionally shifted to threaten our breakfast with its fluff.

I still remember purchasing this hat for him, the day after our stay in Meltokio. In my opinion, even a sleeping cap such as this is a sensible investment of one's funds; 38 percent of one's body heat is lost through one's head, particularly through the ears. I did not want Genis to catch cold, so I decided to purchase a hat for him since he had no money of his own. Unfortunately, the store I found did not sell any ...practical headgear, so my only real choice for sleeping attire (aside from fur-covered corsair hats, mysterious caps with propellors, or strange rainbow-patterned head coverings with false "dreadlocks" attached) was this hat. I have noticed that, since he received it, Genis has spent only two nights not wearing the hat, neither of which by choice, and he seems to sleep longer and more contentedly while wearing it.

Obviously my investment was a successful one, and I am... pleased, to have been able to benefit Genis in some way.

**GENIS:**

As I entered the main living room, I noticed there was no "stove," per se; there was, however, a small gadget designed to flip down over the fireplace and provide either a grill or a flat, pan-like cooking surface. I set to work rigging the thing to make pancakes. After gathering the flour and other necessary ingredients from the cabinets, I noticed Presea standing nearby, staring off into the depths of... my hat? She soon broke out of her trance and, after a second or so, asked if there was anything she could do to help.

"N-no, it's okay, Presea. I can handle breakfast," I replied, already mixing the batter.

"...if you are certain..." she responded, not wanting to seem unhelpful, I suppose.

"I'm sure! I'll call you when it's ready, okay?" As she nodded and turned back for our bedroom, I refocused my attention on preparing breakfast, just in time to catch the bowl from falling off the table onto the floor. Apparently I had been too distracted by Presea (who wouldn't be..?) to notice the bowl slide out of my grip and begin spinning as I stirred. It had spun faster and faster until its wobbly rotations had brought it to the very edge of the counter; thankfully I had noticed it in time, but I still chided myself for letting it happen in the first place.

_"Well, Presea _was_ talking to you..." _a voice in the back of my head piped up. _"It would have been rude to cut her short so you could cook."_

_'Yeah, true, but it would have been even worse to have to cut her short to mop the floor, right?'_

_"Good point."_ The voice clammed up after that, letting me go back to making breakfast.

As I poured the batter onto the griddle, the pompom on the end of my hat dropped into my eyes again; with an annoyed grumble I swatted the thing away for what must have been the twentieth time.

_"Why not just take the hat off?"_ the voice inquired, apparently no longer interested in staying silent.

_'Because Presea gave it to me.'_

_"...So?"_

_'So, it's special! Presea _gave _it to me. She never _gives_ people anything unless they ask for it. I mean, I can count on one hand the number of gifts she's given out to teammates on our quest, and they were usually food, gels, or Gald to buy weapons... stuff she knew we were gonna ask for anyway. The fact that she bought me this, all on her own... must mean something special, right..?'_

_"...So, you're not gonna take the hat off. Even though it's in the way," _the voice finished.

_'Not unless I have to.'_

**PRESEA:**

After Genis assured me he did not need assistance in preparing breakfast, I re-entered our room to wait for him to finish. Rather than let my mind wander I turned to my most recent pastime: sketching. It was Genis himself who suggested art as an outlet; soon after I showed (and later gave) him one of my wooden sculptures, he suggested that pencil sketches might be something else I would take an interest in. Sketching in pencil is remarkably like sculpting in relief, both in appearance and method; pressure and broadness of stroke are critical in both to add that extra dimension to the work.

As I pulled my new pencil set, a birthday gift from Genis, from my satchel, I searched the room for something to draw. A rustle at the window caught my attention; a tree limb had brushed against the windowpane, bringing a bird's nest laden with eggs into view. I decided this was a suitable object for my purposes and began to sketch.

I had finished the nest and was halfway through the surrounding branches when I noticed Genis standing behind me, looking over my shoulder at my drawing.

"Oh, hello Genis. Have you finished with breakfast?"

"Y-yeah! I was gonna tell you, but I saw you drawing... I didn't wanna interrupt..." he responded, taking a seat on the bed. "That's pretty good!" he commented, indicating the drawing.

"Thank you, although the variety of pencils your kit affords has been very useful. I estimate that 21 percent of my shading time was formerly spent in experimentation with whatever writing implement I had available, to find out its capabilities; since these pencils are pre-labeled with their darkness and thickness, that 21 percent has been eliminated, making for a more... enjoyable... experience, overall."

"I-I'm glad you're enjoying them, Presea. ...uhm, you want breakfast now?" he said, remembering the meal he had prepared.

"Yes," I replied, before my stomach had the opportunity to answer for me.

I followed him back into the living area, where the table had been laid out neatly. A dish stacked with steaming pancakes stood flanked by two pitchers, the larger holding iced kirima juice while the smaller held maple syrup, a rare commodity only recently afforded us through the linking of the worlds. Each place setting had the necessary utensils, extra napkins, and a glass which Genis had already filled with juice.

Genis, as I had predicted, had done a satisfying job on breakfast; as is usually the case, when I informed him of this he blushed lightly and responded with "T-thanks, Presea..."

"So, how did you sleep?" he asked, after a few minutes of silence as we ate.

"...I slept well, thank you," I responded after swallowing, so as not to be rude. "You?"

**GENIS:**

"You?"

_'Well aside from sleeping in a wooden desk chair while you snuggled my arm to death, I slept fine...'_ Out loud I merely responded, "I slept okay. ...you didn't have any nightmares or anything?"

"No, not really... why do you ask?"

"You seemed kinda... I dunno, unsettled, while you slept last night." I mentioned, remembering her expression when I tried to take my arm back. She looked pensive for a moment, then shook her head firmly.

"It was not the dream, if that was what you were worried about, Genis. This dream was not that dark."

"What was it? Could you tell me?"

**PRESEA:**

"Could you tell me?"

"I would... prefer it if I did not have to..." I responded, recalling the dream.

"...Ok. I won't force you to if you don't wanna."

I returned to my meal, slightly distracted as the details of my dream filled my thoughts. I suppose even the term "dream" is somewhat inappropriate here, as it was not exactly a dream. It was closer to reliving a memory...

_...I woke with a start as I felt something warm cup my hand and hold it tight. The Wraith's horrible laughter still echoing in my ears, I opened my eyes to find Genis standing at my bedside. A worried expression shaped his face as he held my hand with one of his own. _

_Overcome by the shock of horror and the equally-shocking relief at finding him unharmed, I reached over and pulled him into a tight embrace. He went rigid with surprise for a second, then relaxed and wrapped his arms around me comfortingly. After the tears stopped I let him go so he could stand straight again. _

_"...I think I am alright now. Thank you, Genis..."_

_"It's no problem. I think you should go back to sleep now, though..." He turned and began walking away; with each step he took the room got darker and colder. My adrenaline-fueled imagination got the better of me as shadows began to trickle across the floor, draining the life from the air as Genis left._

_In fear I called out softly for Genis; he returned, the room getting warmer as he drew close. "Yes, Presea?"_

_"...this is somewhat of a selfish request, but... could you stay with me? I do not want to be alone again..." I asked, ashamed of the quake of fear in my voice. Genis blushed softly for a moment but climbed into bed. The closer he was, the calmer and warmer things seemed to get; I hugged him gently in gratitude, then relaxed and—_

"...sea? Presea!"

I came to with a start to find that I had nodded off at the table, apparently long enough that I had worried Genis. He had finished his pancakes; my plate still remained half-eaten.

"I'm sorry..." I answered, blushing lightly in embarrassment. "I was thinking, and I suppose I was too deep in thought to pay attention... My apologies."

"It's alright. I was just worried, is all..." Genis responded. "...uhm, you might wanna take a shower though," he added as he noticed something.

"What do you mean?"

Rather than answer he simply indicated my hair, which I had let down last night and forgotten to put back up; when I had nodded off I had leaned too far forward. The tips of several locks of my hair were saturated with the sticky maple syrup. Noticing this I quickly excused myself, blushing deeply, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

**GENIS:**

_'...well that didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.'_

What a fiasco. First I can't stop stuttering; then, when I finally get it under control, I bore her to sleep! Not only is she bored to sleep, now she has to go shower to get the mess out of her hair from when she fell asleep!

"Martel, I'm such a dork..." I mutter as I slump down in my chair. "I'm so boring I put her to sleep during breakfast! She's busy _eating_ for most of it; I'm boring enough I put her to sleep in the five-odd seconds she's not? What's wrong with me..."

_"What if it wasn't you?" _my thoughts piped up.

_'What do you mean?'_

_"You were talking about her dream last night, right before she conked out. It's possible she was having a daymare... maybe a repeat of last night's?"_

_'A daymare? It's possible... they're usually brought on by extreme exhaustion, though, and she seemed to sleep pretty well last night...'_

_"Last night, yeah, but what about all the nights before that? You call her tossing and turning for hours 'sleeping well?'"_ the voice countered.

It had a point, I was forced to concede. (Wow, I just lost an argument to myself. That's... sad.) Just then, the water for the shower turned off. Glancing over at the door, I saw something in our room; I realized Presea, in her rush to get the syrup out of her hair, had forgotten to grab her clothes and towel off her bed. Rather than make her go through the hotel room, I grabbed them and knocked on the bathroom door.

"...yes?" Presea's voice echoed from inside.

"Um, Presea? You forgot your stuff on your bed..." I called in.

"Ah. ...I am sorry to trouble you, but could you get them for me?" came her muffled reply.

"I already did. I'll just... leave them here, I guess..."

"Thank you," she answered.

I set her stuff on the floor by the door and quickly went into our room so she could retrieve them. After I heard the door shut again, I took a seat on the bed, sighing.

_"What's with the sigh, lover boy?"_ a voice taunted. _"Expecting something _special_, just for bringing her her clothes?" _

_'No!' _I practically shouted back, blushing. _'Where'd you get _that_ idea?'_

_"Oh, I dunno. I'm just a mental manifestation of your conscious thought; I guess I musta got the idea from... _you_," _the voice retorted.

_'...whatever,'_ I responded, face still burning.

As if on cue, the bathroom door opened again as Presea stepped out; she was still tying her hair back, from the rustling and rubber band sounds. After a few seconds I heard her footsteps go into the living area, followed by the chink of china. _'Shoot! I forgot to clear the table!'_ I chastised myself, getting to my feet. I quickly headed out and helped Presea clear away the rest of the table. Once the dishes and such were stacked in the sink for the maids, I... had no idea what to do now.

_'What do we do now? We still have an hour till Raine gets back... Presea bored would only make this mess of a morning worse...'_ I ran through a mental checklist of all the things we had with us, to try and come up with something to do.

_'Tic-Tac-Toe? Yeah, that'd work... for about three minutes. Sketching? Kind of a one-person thing... Checkers? Yeah! ...except the board is broken... Hmm, wait... I've got it! Sarbyr!'_

"Hey, Presea?" I said as I grabbed a piece of paper and pencil.

"...yes?"

"Feel like playing a game?" I asked while I rummaged for the checkers sets.

"...checkers?" she guessed as she saw me find the box. "Genis, I am sorry, but... the checkerboard snapped last week..."

"I know. I wasn't suggesting checkers. Ever hear of 'Sarbyr' before?"

"Sar...byr?" she repeated, confused.

_'...I'll take that as a no.'_ "It's an old elvish game I learned while we were in Heimdall. You need eighteen pieces per player, and a board which I'll have to draw since we don't have one," I explained as I started a rough sketch of the board. "It's a strategy game. We have another hour till Raine gets back. Feel like learning?"

"I suppose," she replied as she took a seat next to me, examining the board. "How do you play?"

"It's pretty easy." I quickly split the red and black checkers, passing her the red and keeping black. "The board is a set of three boxes, one inside the other inside the last." I began, indicating each box. "Each box has a spot on the center of each side and a spot on each corner, making for three spots per side and 8 per box. That's three levels of boxes, so twenty-four spots. Got it so far?"

"Yes..." she replied, a little confused but still interested.

"Each player on their turn can either put a piece on a spot, or move one they already put down to an adjacent spot. Then it becomes the other player's turn."

Presea studied the board for a moment, then looked up at me. "Following the logical course of action, the players would run out of spaces within twelve turns."

"Ah, but that's where the strategy comes in," I replied, smiling. "If you manage to complete a row of three down one side, you can remove one piece from the game."

"I see..." she replied, her mind already formulating strategies. "...When does the game end?"

"When all the pieces are used or all the spots are filled. The player with the most pieces on the board is the winner," I finished.

"It sounds... interesting."

"Wanna play?" I asked, sliding the board between us. She nodded, smiling, and the game began.

The first game I won by one stone; the next three I lost, each one worse than the last. Finally, after the third loss, I figured out her strategy. The next four games went back and forth, first her, then me, then me again, then her for the last win. Just as we were starting the ninth game, the door swung open to admit a freshly towel-dried and content Raine.

"Oh, hey sis. How'd it go?" I asked, looking up from our game.

"It went well. They're having a private council meeting now, so they'll get back to me tomorrow. You two have breakfast yet?"

"Yes, Ms. Sage. Genis made breakfast," Presea replied. "Pancakes."

"We have a stove in here?" Raine asked as she looked around the room, her eyes finally falling on the fireplace gadget. "Oh. Never mind. ...you two look like you had fun," she commented as she pulled a chair over, examining our game. "Sarbyr? I didn't know you played, Presea."

"Genis taught me. It is... challenging," she answered, turning back to the board to place another checker. "It is enjoyable, though."

"Well I'm glad to see you two getting along," Raine said as she headed for her room. "I'm going to go get changed out of these wet clothes. If you need me, I'll be in my room." With that she closed the door, leaving us to our game (which I soon lost).

Another ten games, and eight losses, later, I finally called a halt. "Presea, it's getting late and I'm hungry. You want anything for dinner?"

**PRESEA:**

As much as I was enjoying our game, I must admit that four-and-a-half straight hours of Sarbyr was quite a length of time to go without stopping for food. I was relieved when Genis finally asked if I was hungry. He soon left to rummage through the cabinets and our personal stores; I took a seat on the sofa, where I watched him cook.

...Genis has always been a skilled chef, much like Regal. Since they met, the two had a small amount of enmity between them; I wonder if it is because of this. Perhaps he sees Regal as competition. In my personal opinion, there is very little competition to be had between them. I tend to prefer Genis' recipes, simply because he is the more skilled chef. Regal has a talent for cooking, this is true, but he has had no real experience as a chef. While President he was always served, pampered. Never would he have been allowed to cook his own meals. Later on he had no chance of cooking; he was in prison. The short amount of cooking he did was probably while he was with my sister, Alicia.

Genis, on the other hand, has had four or five consecutive years of practice. As much as I wish to remain polite, this is one topic where I can only be blunt; Raine... is unskilled at cooking. Her desire to "experiment" with dishes, coupled with her general culinary inexperience, has led to many... unsavory creations on her part, several of which could have caused bodily harm if consumed. Genis learned how to cook out of necessity; his talent as a chef has only been refined during the five years of cooking before and during our journey.

It is not only a matter of culinary experience; it is also a matter of cooking style, I suppose. Genis' recipes seem to have an added spark to them, a touch of life that his controlled experimentation has taught him how to make. Regal's, while still good, are more by-the-book. They lack that "something extra."

I must admit, it was only recently that I was even able to notice this "something extra". It is only as my emotions return that I am able to care about what I eat, as more than just the necessary nutrients to support my body. Flavor is something I have only recently been able to even notice, let alone savor. I suppose it is good, then, that as my sense of flavor returns, I have access to the quality food of a skilled chef...

I was soon broken from my reverie by the smell of... garlic? Genis had passed by my seat with a jar of the pungent root, on his way to the fireplace. The thick scent of garlic soon diminished, to be replaced by the lighter scent of tomato sauce, simmering softly on the makeshift stove beside a pot of boiling water. Genis then added pasta to the boiling water; within a few minutes, dinner was ready. I went to call Raine, then helped Genis set the table as Raine put her book away.

**RAINE:**

Several hours of peaceful reading were finally broken as someone knocked on the door of my room.

"Yes?" I called out, dog-earing my page.

"Ms. Sage, dinner is ready," Presea answered.

"Ok, I'll be out in a minute..." I replied, setting my book on the nightstand. After a minute or so of stretching, I got up and joined the two at the table, taking a seat on one side as Genis and Presea took the other side for themselves.

"Pasta? Mmm. ...you could have let me cook, you know," I commented as Genis served us. "I wouldn't've minded."

"You might not have, but we would!" he replied teasingly.

I reached over and playfully cuffed the back of his head, smiling wryly. "Hey, I'm not _that_ bad a cook..."

"Um... yes, you are..?" he retorted, earning him another cuff. "Hey, stop hitting my head! You're killing off all those important brain cells, _Professor_!"

"Siddown and eat your pasta, smart mouth," I replied. Presea was smiling -almost giggling- at our playful banter. _'It's good to see her finally smiling again. After all that time with her new Key Crest, with very little change at all, I was starting to worry she might never get her emotions back.'_

A few minutes of silent eating passed, broken only by small talk between Genis and Presea. _'The two of them seem to be getting along well. That's good; they'll be traveling together for a while longer at this rate...' _I thought. _'...how many towns are there left, anyway?'_

_'We still need to hit Altamira and a few others on the Tethe'alla side, but I think we got them all on the Sylvarant side...'_

"Hey Genis..." I asked as the two hit a lull in their conversation. "What towns haven't we stopped at yet?"

"Uhm... Iselia, for one," he responded, still looking pensive. "Any others..?"

"We already tried Triet when we passed through six months ago, so that's out... and we are _not_ getting back in those washtubs for that Martel-forsaken island. There isn't a real town over there anyway. I guess it's only Iselia and Altamira left that we haven't hit."

"What about Flanoir?" Presea pointed out. "I do not believe we have stopped there yet."

"Yeah! You're right, Presea," Genis replied. "And it's on the way between Iselia and Altamira, by Rheiard."

"So I guess we'll go to Iselia first since it's closest, then Flanoir, and then Altamira..." _'It's hard to believe, but this quest is almost over,' _I realized. _'I've really thought of it as a constant for the six or so months we've been on it... I guess I didn't want to think it would eventually end. It gave us a purpose, something to do after our big, all-important "save the worlds" quest was over. Lloyd and Colette had their Exspheres, Sheena had Mizuho, Zelos had Meltokio and Regal had Lezareno; this journey has been our purpose, all we have had to do, for so long. What do we- what do _I _do now? Go back to teaching? That was drudgery... I couldn't stand all the monotony after living this life. Maybe join the excavation at the Tower of Mana? That's a possibility...' _

_'But what about Genis and Presea? I'm Genis' legal guardian; he's stuck with me. I doubt the research team would want a kid, even one as smart as Genis, snooping around their excavations. And what about Presea? Thanks to us, she has no home anymore, no family or friends left but us. Where would she go? None of the other adults can really take care of her, busy as they are... and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't trust _those_ two with the well-being of a child, even one as intelligent and mature as Presea, so Lloyd and Colette are definitely a non-issue. ...Well, I guess Genis'll be happy. It looks like Presea is stuck with us for awhile.'_

_'That still leaves the question of "what do we do now?" Well, it's their future too... maybe I should ask.'_

"...Presea? Genis?" I asked, interrupting their Altamira plan-making. "With our journey almost over, we have to start thinking about what we're gonna do after this. Where do we live? What do we do? It's a big decision, so I'm giving you both some time to think about it. Ok?"

After a few seconds while Genis thought, Presea turned to me, confused. "Um, Ms. Sage... why are you asking me?"

"Because the decision will affect all of us, not just me–"

"...Ms. Sage. You misunderstand my question," she interrupted. "I... am not a part of this decision. I am not family; I am merely a guest of you two. Why should I be included in the decision that affects your lives?"

"Well, Presea," I replied. "Won't this decision affect your life, too?" _'What I mean is, are you going to stay with us? Because if you're not, that opens up a whole other set of problems...'_

**PRESEA:**

"Won't this decision affect your life, too?"

_'...why would it affect my life? I am not family; I do not live with-'_ It was then that I realized something. I... I _do_ live with them. For the past two years I _have_ lived with them, them and the others on our quest.

That realization sparked a rush of thoughts in its wake. Where else could I go? I have no home in Ozette now. All the friends of my family live there, so I cannot even go to them for help. And sadly, I am trapped in this twelve-year-old body until I grow up. Until then, as much as it pains me to say it... I am a child. I cannot support myself; who would employ a twelve-year-old? No matter how barbaric the system on Sylvarant is, I am certain it at least has child labor laws prohibiting full-time employment to children. Even bypassing that, where would I live? Probability of my surviving to bodily maturity on the road, with no home or stable form of income... alone... is less than 22 percent... and I could not survive in an orphanage, treated not only as a child but as an _unwanted_ child... that could be worse than my time with the Crystal.

But thanks to the Sages... I do not have to. Even before now they have cared for me... Genis has been my only true friend in so long, and Raine... This life, with them and the others, has been the only home I have had for the past two years. And now they are officially inviting me into their lives, into their _family_, when my own has gone. Why would I want to give that up? I have been given another chance at a family, at companionship, belonging... not being alone. To give that up, would be foolish.

But what about them? I will not be an added burden to them... they have already sacrificed so much for me. Food, clothing, healing, weapon repairs... Genis' gifts... I have already cost them so much. I wish to stay with them, but... I cannot force myself on them. That would be unfair to them.

I shall leave the decision in their hands; if they are willing to have me, I will gladly stay, but...

"...the only way that this decision would affect me, is if I was to stay with you and Genis," I finally responded. "Is this what you are asking? Do you wish for me to stay with you..?"

**GENIS:**

"Do you wish for me to stay with you..?"

_'HELL YES, PRESEA!'_ part of me wanted to shout. Thankfully, it was a very small part, and I was able to remain quiet.

"This isn't just my decision, Presea," Raine answered. "It's your life. I would gladly take you in, but I can't force you to stay with us... you have the final say. Do you wish to stay with us?"

"...if you would willingly have me, then... I would like to stay..." she said quietly.

After a few seconds Raine turned to me, smiling. "Well then, Genis? What do you think?"

"What? Why are you asking me?" I replied, confused.

"Because she'll be affecting your life too," she leaned in to whisper, "..._perhaps yours, most of all..._" She winked, then leaned back and finished with "So what do you say?" at normal volume.

_'Are you kidding me? Do _I_ want Presea to stay? Of course I do! Did you leave your sanity under your pillow for the Nut Fairy or something?'_

I decided, whatever Raine's game was, I might as well play along a little. "Well, if you want to stay, then..." To her surprise (hell, to mine too) I reached over and hugged her gently. "Of course you can stay with us, Presea."

Presea was speechless for a few seconds. "...thank you," she finally managed. "Thank you both. ...I hope I will not be a burden to either of you..."

"Of course you won't, Presea," I responded, letting go of her and leaning back into my chair. "You haven't been a burden to us at all."

"...well, if you two are done," Raine said as she got to her feet, plate in hand, "It's just about time for bed. It's almost ten-thirty, and we have a long trek ahead of us tomorrow if we want to make it to Iselia before evening. Clean off your places, then off to bed with you both."

With Raine and Presea's help, the table was quickly cleared. Just as we were heading to bed Raine seemed to remember something. "Oh, Presea? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Presea returned to the table, slightly confused; I headed off to bed, realizing this probably wasn't a conversation meant for me.

**RAINE:**

"Yes, Ms. Sage?" Presea answered, curious, as she sat down on the chair across from me.

I sighed lightly, exasperated. "First, Presea... if you're going to be living with us, you don't need to call me 'Ms. Sage.' That's a bit too formal. Feel free to just call me 'Raine,' okay?"

"...Okay, Raine..." she responded, still confused.

"The other thing I wanted to talk to you about was..." I sighed again as I collected my thoughts. "...if you live with us, that means I would probably become your legal guardian. I would be responsible for your safety. Is that alright with you?"

"...Raine..." she began warily, if possible even more confused, "Would this not be a question for you? You would be liable for me; I would be an additional responsibility for you. You are the only one at a detriment in this situation. Why are you asking me?"

"I'm just making sure you're comfortable with the idea of me being responsible for you. Are you?"

"I... believe I am..." she replied slowly. "If you are willing to handle the extra responsibility, then I suppose..."

"If you're sure. I'm not pressuring you, Presea. This is entirely your decision."

"...I... I trust you to not take advantage of being my caretaker. ...I can accept it." she decided.

"...alright then. Unless you have something you want to ask me, you can go back to bed if you want."

She thought for a moment, then turned to me. "I have only one question I wish to ask you. ...Why did you decide to do this for me?"

"Why?" I replied. "Because I care about you, Presea. Genis and I both do. We want to be sure you're happy, even if that means we take care of you for awhile."

She seemed surprised at this; I'm not quite sure whether it was at my response, or at how easily I responded. Whatever the reason, she thanked me quietly, then headed off to bed. She still looked deep in thought as she closed the door to their bedroom. As soon as the door closed I headed to bed myself, tired from the long day.

_'Well this has been an interesting day,'_ I joked to myself. _'I sleep in, dash through the rain, argue before a town Council about changing generations-old laws, then come back to our hotel room and add a new member to my family. ...All in all, a satisfying day.' _I clambered into bed, managing to click off the light with one hand. _'...G'night Raine...'_ With that I was sound asleep.

**GENIS:**

Despite my exhaustion, I was still awake when Presea went to bed. She may have put out the lights, but I could still see her sitting up in bed, staring off into space.

"You okay, Presea?" I called over to her softly, concerned.

Rather than reply she turned to face me, her deep blue eyes reflecting the moonlight through the window behind me. "Genis... can I ask you a question?"

"Um... sure, I guess..." I answered, a little surprised.

"...Why are you so willing to take me in?"

"Why?" I echoed sleepily. "Because I care about you, silly."

"...that was what Raine said, as well..." Presea mumbled quietly. "...thank you, Genis," she finally answered. "I... care about you, too." I went to reply, but was cut off as my body let loose a particularly large yawn. "...I will not keep you awake any longer. Goodnight, Genis," she said as she pulled the covers up and lay down to sleep. Within seconds I could no longer stay awake, and passed off into peaceful slumber.

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Sorry this one took so long to post, guys. Reviews, comments, complaints, and nagging reminders are all more than welcome.

Urg. Too sleepy... need bed now. Night folks.

¿ObviousMan?


	9. Arts and Crafts

S'been awhile since I updated. I imagine people're pissed at me. Understandably so.

Can't promise this'll be the start of a series of rapid new updates, cuz college currently hates me.

But! Here's this one.

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Disclaimer: In no way do I intend to, endeavour to, or even manage to, make money or in any way take credit for the work of the production team that created the Namco production title "Tales of Symphonia" as released for the Nintendo GameCube. Any resemblances within the story to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental; any beliefs of copyright infringement, purely misunderstood.

"Yak" = speech

_Yak_ = Flashback

_'Yak'_ = Internal monologue / thoughts

_"Yak"_ = Mental voices

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

_...' Well this has been an interesting day,' I joked to myself. 'I sleep in, dash through the rain, argue before a town Council about changing generations-old laws, then come back to our hotel room and add a new member to my family. ...All in all, a satisfying day.' I clambered into bed, managing to click off the light with one hand. '...G'night Raine...' With that I was sound asleep._

**PRESEA:**

We checked out of the Silver Lining Hotel early that morning; Raine made a point of thanking the manager profusely, who continued to insist that "It was our pleasure, madam Sage. You and your family are welcome here as often as you desire." Checkout arrangements complete, we made a perfunctory stop at the town market for supplies, then took flight for the long journey to Iselia. The trip was not without incident.

Approximately two days after leaving Asgard, we were forced to land as Raine's Rheiard ran dangerously low on fuel. The elderly Rheiard had at some point suffered internal damage over its many years of service. It is unlikely that Zelos used the orange Rheiard frequently, as its intended design was never more than a simple training device. As a result, the damage had gone unnoticed (and thus unrepaired), possibly for years. Said internal damage led, logically, to engine inefficiency. As a result, the Rheiard began to consume more mana than it could collect, and is now unable to fly. While I do not put much stock in the concept of "luck", Genis considers us "lucky" it lasted even this long.

Our emergency landing put us approximately nine miles due southeast of Iselia, which I reasoned to be the better part of a day's travel, considering the mountainous terrain we had landed in. As we had landed at night, we quickly agreed to make camp and strike out on foot at dawn, when the rising sun would provide better illumination for the rocky and unstable path.

Raine retired to bed early, claiming nausea due to the suddenness of her descent. Genis lit a cooking fire and assembled a rotisserie device to roast some root vegetables he had purchased at the Asgard market. Rather than get in Genis' way, I took a seat on a nearby boulder and gathered my sketching materials to pass the time.

_'...'_ I quickly realized that drawing in this low light would be virtually impossible. The craggy rock faces were little more than smudges in my peripheral vision; what few trees managed to survive at this altitude were relatively uniform pine trees, and not something I was interested in drawing. I was almost ready to give up when that voice suggested, _"Why not the campfire?"_

All of my previous sketching attempts had been of stationary objects; drawing something as animated as a fire would provide a welcome challenge. In addition, there was certainly no worry about insufficient lighting, considering the fire itself was a source of light. Its surroundings would even provide practice with irregular shading, something I had wanted to experiment with. As loath as I was to take the voice's suggestions, considering the results its earlier advice had almost led to, this one seemed... fairly sound.

I spread out my pencils and began outlining basic shapes. The angular, blocky stones that formed the fire ring soon gave way to the smooth, flowing lines of the flames, punctuated at intervals by the wood that fueled it. My fingers traced out and smoothed the rotisserie, forming the oblong shapes of the vegetables mid-rotation... and before I fully realized it, Genis' hands and arms flowed out from the pencils. His outfit, the loose fabric with its multi-faceted design, proved a challenge... but the challenge I soon found myself almost eager to undertake were the smooth, rounded curves of his face. His eyes, focused intently on his efforts, with the campfire reflected in his irises... his brow, furrowed in concentration... the trickle of sweat beading at the tip of his nose from the heat of the flames... lips pursed in contemplation... the familiar point of one visible ear... I soon realized I had focused more than half the total time spent sketching, simply on his face. As part of me wondered at the significance of that realization, changes in the lighting barely caught my attention as Genis rose from cooking and wiped the sweat from his face.

**GENIS:**

I've never been a huge fan of roots and tubers. They're an unpleasant reminder of when Raine and I first started out in Iselia, before we were fully accepted. Since Raine was still struggling to find work, they were often the only things we could afford to eat... and Raine wasn't exactly good at preparing them.

...not that she's good at preparing anything else, for that matter.

Unpleasant associations aside, they're cheap and easy to get, and I didn't want to waste the good stuff in case we found ourselves needing it later. Besides - with the proper seasonings and enough attention, they're not that bad.

As the spuds finished roasting, I clambered to my feet and took a second to wipe my face clean on my sleeve. Presea was deep in a sketch, and barely reacted even as I walked to her side. Curious at what could catch her attention so completely, I peeked over her shoulder...

...and found my face staring back at me from the page.

Needless to say, the real me's face quickly burst into a deep blush. _'She was drawing me..?'_

Not only had she been drawing me (and was continuing to draw me), she had paid such attention to detail it hardly seemed like a chance decision. From the tiny bead of sweat on my nose to the individual hairs of my eyebrows, she had paid almost intricate detail to me; in comparison, the rest of the picture seemed intentionally unfinished, like she had left it as nothing more than blurry background to push the image of me to the forefront.

Presea looked up from her work and noticed me standing over her. She blushed a little, then held the drawing at an angle so I could see it better. "Do you like it?"

"I-I, uh... I d-don't know what to say..." I managed to stammer out, feeling the heat building in my ears.

"I hope you do not mind my using you as subject material, Genis... I had been hoping to experiment with irregular shadow and a moving subject, and you fulfilled those criteria..." she trailed off, a tinge of embarrassment - _'She's _embarrassed_?'_ - in her voice.

I opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off by a sudden SPLORT from the campfire. One of the potatoes, softened by the heat, had fallen clean off the rotisserie and landed in the fire; while I had followed Presea's sketching, heat had built inside it until its soft inner flesh had boiled. The resulting pressure caused the skin to explode clean off in a resounding POP.

Curiosity would have to wait until after dinner was saved. I managed to pull the rotisserie stick clear of the fire before any other tubers fell to their doom, scraping the lot of them into a serving bowl. The softer potatoes soon found themselves mashed into fluff. The more solid ones were sliced, then treated to a quick burst of fire to temper them properly on the outside. A sprinkling of seasoning, and the casserole of sorts was finished.

Presea and I took our servings and ate in silence, punctuated only by the occasional request for salt or some seasoning. Cleanup was carried out in equal silence. Still visibly flustered for some reason, Presea quickly retired to bed, leaving me with first watch of the night.

As I took a seat on the only available seating, a large mossy boulder by the campfire, a rustle of paper caught my attention - Presea had left her drawing outside. I caught it before the wind stole it away forever; curiosity soon got the better of me, and I found myself poring over the sketch.

Presea's artwork was _beautiful_. The finished drawing was intricate and detailed, as meticulous as the Presea I knew and loved. The shading was perfectly aligned; the fire looked like a flashbox pictograph I had seen in a textbook at school. And myself... _'Do I really look like that..?'_

My portraited self, with his clear white skin, smooth features, slender ears and perfect posture, almost made me blush to look at. Despite Zelos' snide remarks of "cute kid", I've never really regarded myself as attractive... but Presea's portrait-version of me was absolutely gorgeous. I felt heat rising in my face as I followed the lines of her art over and over in disbelief.

_'I... but... does she really... see me like this..?'_

**PRESEA:**

Dinner was an unusually awkward affair. After the drawing was completed to satisfaction, nothing was left to distract my thoughts from earlier questions about my sketch's subject.

_'I intended it as a drawing of the campfire... I do not even recall consciously shifting focus to Genis. How did he become the focal point of my sketch?'_

"_Your subconscious has a reason for everything," _the ever-present voice piped up. _"Why would it be focused on Genis?"_

'…_why are you being so forthcoming and assistive of late?'_ I asked the voice after pausing to pass Genis the salt dispenser. _'Usually your efforts feel tuned towards the detrimental.'_

"_That would be telling, wouldn't it~?" _it teased.

I was confused by its response. _'…what do you mean by that? Would not "telling me" be the intended outcome of my question?'_

"…_ugh, you're hopeless sometimes." _The voice sighed. _"Maybe later." _

"_Focus on the topic at hand. Why would your subconscious be so drawn to Genis?"_

'…_I do not have any theories.' _The longer this conversation with… whatever the voice was, went on, the more confused I became.

"_Do I have to spoon-feed you everything? Gods… come on, girl. Think."_

A few minutes of "thinking" later, I still had no plausible theories. Even after stopping to clean my place, pack the dishes, and move off into our tent, I was still as bereft of ideas as when I had started, and the process was beginning to frustrate me. Finally the voice reappeared with some hints.

"_What's the subconscious responsible for?"_

'…_it is the part of your mental processes that unravels complex problems while your conscious thoughts handle more pressing activities.'_

"_Right. So, imagine for a minute that your subconscious is some kind of hungry creature. And it's aware of the things, the thoughts and images and stuff, that're running through your mind at a given time. Which ones would it be most attracted to?"_

'…_I would assume the more complex ones, or things that could not be immediately solved and would consume more attention span if left in the conscious thought… pool, I guess would be the most appropriate term.'_

"_Okay. Now keep that analogy in mind. What would make this animal go after our mutual friend Genis there?"_

This was a string of logic I could follow. _'My subconscious fixated on Genis because… he is something I do not understand, and who takes up much of my conscious thoughts?'_

"_Now we're getting there." _The voice vanished as abruptly as it came, leaving more questions than it had answered.

'_But… I was already aware Genis takes up much of my thoughts and his actions confuse me… how was this a learning experience..?' _The little voice provided no answers.

Rather than inundate my already-frustrated psyche with even more pointless rumination, I decided to divert my attentions and begin my watch early. _'Perhaps a conversation with Genis will obviate a few of these questions...'_ I thought to myself as I parted the tent flap and made my way out into the campsite proper.

Genis was seated on the boulder I had been sketching on; as I drew closer I realized he was still poring over the sketch of himself. Moreover, he was blushing profusely.

'_Why would he be… oh gods. He finds the sketch offensive.' _I was well aware my artistry skills were still in their fledgling state, nothing like the works in the museums of Meltokio... It had not occurred to me, however, that my drawings might have offended their prospective subjects with their lack of quality. _'…yet another case where my inexperience in the realms of emotion has served me poorly.'_

I sighed internally, then began walking towards the boulder where Genis sat. _'I had best apologize for the offense.'_

**GENIS:**

I didn't even see Presea coming until she cleared her throat quietly to catch my attention. Thank the gods she wasn't a bear or I'd be missing limbs. Even so, it was still startling enough that I yelped and sprang to my feet.

"P-Presea! I-I uh… uhm…" My mind was still flustered over her drawing, _'Does she really see me like that?'_ bouncing around my brain like a rubber ball.

"Hello again, Genis. …may I have my sketch back, please?" Her face had taken on the usual robotic veneer she gets when she's stressed out, but some tiny bit of her emotions still managed to creep out through her eyes… and the only one I saw was deep shame. _'She's ashamed..? But this is beautiful! Why would she…' _…which was when it occurred to me.

Presea has always been a sort of perfectionist, especially when it comes to things she creates. Even the tiny wooden animals she used to sculpt to relieve stress were like miniature animals, flawless in every way. '_She must still be insecure about her drawing skills... And here I am poring over it like some sort of… of… I don't even know the word for it! Crap!'_

"I-I'm sorry!" I managed to stammer out, cursing my flustered language-box-thing for the umpteenth time. _"Brain. It's called a brain."_ Ignoring my brain for a moment, I quickly (in retrospect, probably _too_ quickly) thrust the drawing back into her outstretched hands.

"_Say something complimentary, dolt!"_

'_W-What?'_

"_She's probably horribly insecure right now! Say something to make her feel better about her drawing!"_

"I-I… uh…" Presea looked up from her slightly-crumpled drawing _('Crap, I crinkled it!') _at the sound of my voice, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

And with that, my brain died.

"I-I… it… it looks…" _'…words! Find words, Genis! Words should not be a problem!'_

"…nice!" I finished lamely. "It looks really… nice."

She smiled sadly up at me, the kind of smile that told me instantly she knew I was patronizing her. "Thank you, Genis. …I am glad you like it." With that, she turned and re-entered the tent.

Now feeling rather like the world's largest moron, I collapsed back on the rock and buried my face in my hands with a groan. My hands barely muffled my whine of "I am _so stupid_…" as I cursed my emotions, my brain, and every other part of me I could think to blame.

'_I have to get better at this…' _

**PRESEA:**

Any doubt in my mind that Genis was offended by my paltry attempt to draw him was immediately eradicated by that encounter. He had been so drawn between his desire to be polite and his revulsion that even his normally-immaculate vocabulary had failed him.

"_Nice? Language skills like his, and _nice_ was all he could come up with? Oof…" _the voice actually appeared to be sympathetic to me for once. As had become standard practice, I simply ignored it.

One glance at the drawing and I knew immediately why he had been so offended. His portrait's features were completely out of touch with reality. His ears were too thin; his eyes were enormous, almost bulbous; his nose was almost nonexistently small. His hair, normally lightly tousled, instead looked like an explosion of dry straw. He was hideous… nothing like the actual Genis. _'How did I miss such glaring imperfections…'_

In frustration I tore the paper in half across the middle, letting the pieces fall to the floor. I tucked myself into my sleeping bag, shame, embarrassment, and the beginnings of hot tears burning at my face. For whatever reason, the voice left me mercifully alone to stew in my own self-loathing.

Within minutes I had quietly cried myself to a sleep haunted by an ever-familiar nightmare.

.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.•°•.

The deed is done. More to come after finals.

See you all soon.

¿OM?


End file.
